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LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS 



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E MPRE S S AN 1ST A. IVAN OVNA 
R U SS IA. 



LEISURE HOURS AMONG 
THE GEMS 



BY 



AUGUSTUS 



C. HAMLIN 



AUTHOR OF A TREATISE ON THE TOURMALINE 

FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF NORTHERN EUROPE 

CHEVALIER OF ST. ANNE, ETC. 



" Now in matter of the knowledge of the works of nature, I would have 
thee give thyself curiously; so that there be no sea, river, nor fountain of 
which thou dost not know the fishes; all the fowls of the air; all the metals 
that are hid within the bowels of the earth ; together witli the precious stones 
that are to be seen in the east and south of the world. Let nothing of all 
these be unknown to thee." — Rabelais. 




BOSTON 
JAMES R. OSGOOD AND C 
1884 



Copyright, 1884, 
By Augustus C. Hamlin. 



All rights reserved. 



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SEtti&nraitg ^rais: 
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. 



DEDICATION. 



Whatever of interest or value there is to be found in these 
pages is earnestly inscribed 

2T0 tfje JKemorg 

OF 

JEAN ANDRE DE PEYSONNEL, 

who ventured to announce to the men of science of the 
Royal Acadeinies of Europe in the eighteenth century that 
the Coral was the product of animal life, and not of 
vegetable growth. In aiiswer to his simple discovery and 
honest declaration, the naturalist was met with a storm of 
contempt and derision that eventually wrecked his happi- 
ness and his life. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

The Diamond 13 

The Emerald . * 285 

The Opal 335 

The Sapphire 367 



Hist of Illustrations, 



Crown of the Empress Anna Ivanovna, of 

Russia Frontispiece 

Crystal of Sapphire, Ceylon (Hamlin Collection) . . 367 



THE DIAMOND. 



Le diamant : c'est l'art des choses ideales 

Et ces rayons d'argent, d'or, de pourpre, et d'azur 

Ne cessent de lancer les deux lueurs egales 

De pensers les plus beaux, de 1' amour le plus pur. 

II porte du genie et transmet les empruntes, 

Oui, de ce qui survit aux nations eteintes, 

C'est lui le plus brillant tresor et le plus dur. 

Alfred de Vigny. 



LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTEE I. 

THE DIAMOND. 

The advice of Eabelais quoted on our titlepage indi- 
cates sound judgment, if not a glimmer of prophetic 
feeling ; but we doubt very much whether the quaint 
philosopher had any conception of its extent and 
scope when he gave it. Could the queer, sceptical 
old fellow return to earth again after his long quiet 
sleep of almost four centuries, how astonished would 
he appear at the revelations of the students who have 
followed his suggestion during the last century even ! 
And yet in reality how little has been revealed to 
the limited vision of man, compared with the vast 
resources of nature still unexplored and shrouded 
in mystery. In enumerating the precious stones 
among the works of nature worthy of the contem- 
plation and earnest study of man, Eabelais not only 
exhibited a prophetic discernment, but he disclosed 
the fancies which invested these mineral objects in 
his day and in earlier times, and which have in a 
measure descended to the present era, and still exert 
some influence. 



14 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The study of the gems is one of the most interest- 
ing of all the objects of natural history ; and although 
the field of research appears somewhat limited at 
first glance, the scene expands as we advance, and 
we are soon lost in the beauty and mystery of the 
subject, which as'yet no man has been fully able to 
comprehend and explain. It is commonly under- 
stood that this study is simply a matter of commerce, 
or belonging to the province of the jeweller or the 
mineralogist. But the subject is really of far greater 
importance. Several of the ablest of our philoso- 
phers have been deeply interested in this pursuit, 
and have revealed to us startling phenomena, many 
of which have been turned greatly to the aid of 
science and the comfort of mankind. After so many 
years of study and research, the field of observation 
and discovery is by no means exhausted. 

We may take another view of the subject solely 
with the artistic eye, and find much for enjoyment 
and contemplation. In the art of ancient times the 
precious stones played an important part, and by 
means of the engraved gems we are enabled to form 
an idea of the wonderful skill of the artists of those 
periods. By means of these engraved stones the por- 
traits of many of the illustrious characters of an- 
tiquity have been preserved, and also representations 
of some of the masterpieces of sculpture, which have 
since been destroyed by time or the hand of bar- 
barism. If the reader, exercising a little credulity 
and patience, will kindly follow me through the 



THE DIAMOND. 15 

observations of many years here condensed and re- 
corded, he may in a slight degree partake of some of 
the enthusiasm and interest of the author. 

But, before we proceed very far on the pleasant and 
seductive journey, let us understand each other, and, 
above all, allow the author to confess that his knowl- 
edge of the subject is decidedly imperfect, and perhaps 
somewhat visionary at times. 

We will consider first the diamond, not because 
we regard it the foremost in interest among min- 
erals, but because it is to-day reckoned commer- 
cially, as it was in the time of the Latin philosopher, 
Pliny, nearly two thousand years ago, "Maximum 
in rebus humanis," — "The most costly of human 
possessions." But we must, however, slightly modify 
the remark, and now apply it to the rare colored 
varieties of the gem, since commerce and refined 
taste rank the red sapphire far above the colorless 
diamond in value, and sometimes even the emer- 
ald and rare blue sapphires exceed it in price. 
It is interesting, and at times amusing, to read the 
views of the ancient gem-writers, and even those of 
mediaeval times, relating to this remarkable mineral, 
and compare them with the accepted opinions of the 
present day. The ancients were completely ignorant 
of the nature of the stone, and called it " adamas," or 
the invincible, from the mistaken idea that it could 
resist all external violence, and was also perfectly in- 
destructible. Modern science, however, has disclosed 
the fact that the gem is not only quite delicate in its 



16 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

structure, but that it is also utterly perishable in its 
nature. The revelations of chemistry have clearly 
demonstrated that the glittering stone, known as the 
diamond, is simply crystallized carbon, and one of the 
allotropic forms of that protean element which, by 
the aid of some mysterious agency, can deposit its 
substance in the shape of a sooty blackness, as in 
the coal, or in the transparent crystal of diamond, 
which may be regarded as the very emblem of light. 
Furthermore, the gem is not only the concentrated 
embodiment of human valuation, but it is also the 
standard of hardness among all mineral substances; 
and yet, strange to say, plumbago, which apparently 
is of the same composition, is exactly the reverse, 
and quite as soft as talc. 

Here, then, we may behold one of the strangest an- 
titheses to be seen in the whole mineral kingdom, for 
we have a simple and singular mineral composed of 
the meanest of elements, yet whose different forms 
illustrate the extremes of hardness, and may also be 
considered to represent the antipodes of material 
treasures. 

The crystallized and transparent variety, when it 
occurs in its greatest perfection, and especially with 
the rare colors of red v blue, and green, forms indeed 
the most beautiful of all the decorative stones yet 
known to man. For it not only far exceeds all others 
in degree of hardness, but it also surpasses them in 
its extraordinary brilliancy and the wonderful display 
of the prismatic colors, especially by artificial light, 



THE DIAMOND. 17 

which charm it alone possesses of all the gems and 
precious stones. 

Although it is widely distributed over the world, 
and has been known to man for many centuries, yet 
its distribution, its deposition, its geological age, are 
not only puzzling themes to the mineralogist, but 
they are yet subjects of startling interest to the 
philosopher. 

The origin of the stone has long been a subject of 
inquiry among experimentalists, and it has received 
more attention from them than all the other gems 
reckoned together. As for our humble opinion, after 
long consideration of this multitude of hypotheses, we 
are inclined to assert the diamond to be the product 
of decomposition of vegetable material, and derived 
from one of the numerous chemical compounds of 
carbon and hydrogen. We find some of these forms 
generated wherever vegetable matter is decomposed 
under water, and in the gem strata of the diamond 
placers we may observe abundant evidence of mate- 
rial for metamorphosis. If we admit the origin of 
the gem to be from vegetable matter, or derived 
from any transformations of organic debris, we then 
reduce the history of the diamond to a simple prob- 
lem ; for it is quite easy to explain, or rather imag- 
ine, the required chemical change under the action of 
electricity or telluric magnetism, and all along the 
true gem formations the phenomena of the earth's 
vitality in this respect are remarkable. 

Carbon is commonly mentioned as the meanest of 
2 



18 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

elements, yet, when we come to consider its bearing in 
the mineral kingdom, and its vast relations in human 
industry, or its effect in the progress of civilization, 
it deserves a higher rank, or certainly a more generous 
classification among the constituents of the earth. 
For it not only occurs in various states in the air, the 
.sea, and the more solid portions of the earth, but 
we find it an essential ingredient in the structure of 
all animal and vegetable life. It is really one of the 
most interesting and important of the elementary 
bodies, and may present itself in a variety of allo- 
tropic forms of remarkable and striking character. 
To its combination in the mineral substance known 
as coal the world owes its greatest blessing, save the 
golden grains Triptolemus gave to mankind. From 
its purest and crystallized form art derives its richest 
and most dazzling object of ornamentation. With- 
out it the globe would soon become desolate and all 
organic life cease to exist. 

In contemplating the transcendent beauties of the 
purest of its states, the observer can hardly realize 
that between the sparkling diamond and the black, 
lustreless mineral known as graphite, there is only 
the difference in the arrangement of their invisible 
atoms. Yet, so far as we know at the present day, 
the two objects are apparently of the same composi- 
tion, differing only in their system of crystallization. 
The first we recognize as the perfection of natural 
beauty, the concentration of brilliancy, and the stand- 
ard of limpidity, while the other is directly the oppo- 



THE DIAMOND. 19 

site in its effects and relations. The diamond, when 
exposed to sufficient heat, parts with its wonderful 
beauty and disappears, leaving only a minute trace of 
seemingly carbonized matter. 

It often perplexes the student in chemistry to ex- 
plain the varied forms and the different properties of 
substances having apparently the same composition. 
It is not especially in the mineral kingdom that he 
meets with these strange anomalies, but his mystery 
becomes intensified when attempting to solve the 
problems of organic life. For instance, in seeking 
to explain the odors of vegetable substances, he finds 
that ten parts of carbon and sixteen of hydrogen 
appear to form the sole constituents of many per- 
fumes, — like the oil of lemons, lavender, turpentine, 
etc. And yet, with the elements known, he not only 
finds himself unable to combine them artificially so 
as to produce the perfumes, or explain satisfactorily 
why bodies possessing the same constituent parts 
exhale odors so different. 

Among all these investigations and reasonings the 
question comes forcibly to the mind, why was the 
gem created, and has the day gone by when the con- 
ditions required for its formation no longer exist ? 
With due respect to the phenomena connected with 
the crystallization and deposition of metals and min- 
erals at the present time, we cannot answer this 
inquiry hastily. 

We may affirm, perhaps, that nature possesses the 
power to form the diamond to-day, but are the condi- 



20 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

tions requisite for its evolution present and complete ? 
We will not now attempt to discuss the arguments 
bearing upon this interesting theme; but we will 
however, modestly state that it is our belief that 
the diamond is the last gem placed upon the earth, 
and that the period of its deposition was subsequent 
to the introduction of some of the higher forms of 
animal life on the globe, and, possibly, since the 
appearance even of man. 



ANTIQUITY OF THE DIAMOND AS A GEM 21 



CHAPTEE II. 

ANTIQUITY OF THE DIAMOND AS A GEM. 

It is quite certain that the diamond is not one of 
the earliest gems known to man, and the facts of 
the stone not having been found among the ruins 
of Nineveh or Bassora, the Etruscan sepulchres, or 
the jewels of the ancient tombs of the Phoenicians 
of the island of Cyprus, recently explored by Di 
Cesnola, afford strong presumptive evidence that its 
discovery dates within historic times. As the gem 
in its natural state is not often finely crystallized 
with smooth planes and perfect transparency, like 
the limpid crystals of quartz, it was probably long 
overlooked by man, and its adoption in the decora- 
tive arts preceded by the bright-colored and softer 
stones. The rough crystals are not attractive when 
placed in comparison with many other gems, and 
their degree of hardness, coupled with their rarity, 
probably gave them their value among the ancients. 
"We are inclined to think that their use was governed 
by the fancy of the rich and powerful nobles, and 
that the emerald and the blue and red stones took 
precedence in the selection of gems until the art 
of polishing was discovered. 



22 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

In the time of Pliny the stone was acquired only 
by the richest of kings ; and in the days of Alexander 
Severus, in the third century, it was remarkable for 
its price, while the emerald was estimated for its 
beauty. Lollia, at the Banquet of Caligula, glitter- 
ing with the spoils of Asia Minor, of fabulous value, 
did not wear the diamond, so far as we can ascertain. 

There is evidence to lead to the presumption that 
the gem was regarded in the early periods more of 
a curiosity possessing talismanic powers than as an 
ornamental stone. The famous crown of Chosroes, 
made in the latter part of the sixth century, and 
brought to light by Shah Abbas after a thousand 
years of concealment in an obscure fortress among 
the mountains of Lauristan, does not contain dia- 
monds among its ornaments, but is incrusted with 
pearls and rubies. 

The absence of the stone in this royal tiara, con- 
structed at this early period of time, is certainly 
significant, and indicates that it was not high in 
estimation, or that the art of polishing in a definite 
manner, so as to reveal the hidden splendors of 
the gem, had not then been discovered. 

The early practice of polishing the natural faces 
of the crystal did „not reward the patient lapidary 
by a corresponding increase of beauty. Hence we 
can explain the setting of rough diamonds in mediae- 
val times long after the process of polishing had been 
discovered and put in practice by the Orientals. 

The crown of the Khan of the Tatars, captured on 



ANTIQUITY OF THE DIAMOND AS A GEM. 23 

the Oxus by the Persians in the fifth century, is 
described as being ornamented with several thou- 
sand pearls, but there is no allusion to any stones 
resembling diamonds ; yet the Tatars had undoubted 
access to the commercial marts of India. 

The, cup of Chosroes I., of the seventh monarchy 
of Persia, and which is still extant, is composed of 
small disks of colored glass united by a gold setting, 
and having at the bottom a crystal engraved with 
the figure of the monarch. This royal relic is 
destitute of diamonds. When the treasures of the 
Persian palace of Dastagherd were captured in the 
seventh century, no mention of the diamond was 
made in the enumeration of the articles. Among 
them were the famous throne of gold called 
"Takdis," supported on feet composed of rubies; 
also the crown formed of a thousand huge pearls. 
If diamonds were abundant at this period, why do 
we not find them among the decorations of the royal 
jewels ? Macondi, however, says that the Sassanian 
king had nine seals of office, the first of which was 
a diamond with a ruby centre, bearing the portrait, 
name, and titles of the monarch. 

The sacred standard of Persia, the famous " durn- 
foh-Kawani," or leathern apron of the blacksmith 
Kawak, which was eighteen feet long by twelve feet 
broad, was richly adorned with silk and the finest 
gems when it was captured by the Arabs in 636, 
at the great battle of Cadesia. Its value was then 
estimated at $150,000, but the diamond is not men- 



24 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

tioned among its ornaments, and if it had been 
abundant we might expect to see it prominently 
displayed among the decorations. However, we 
must admit that many of these historical descrip- 
tions are very incorrect, and often partake largely 
of the nature of the fabulous. And so, in the de- 
scription of the capture of Ctesiphon by the Arabs 
in the seventh century, the historian states that vast 
quantities of gems and precious stones and treasures 
of wondrous beauty, of more than one hundred mil- 
lions of dollars in value were obtained. Among the 
descriptions of the articles comprised in this im- 
mense booty we fail to find any allusion to the 
diamond, and yet we know that the gem was not 
unknown to Persians at that time. 

To give the reader an idea of the magnificent 
tastes of the Persian nobles at that period, we will 
mention some of the articles captured at this time 
by the freebooters of the desert. 

A wonderful carpet woven of white brocade is 
described as being one of the marvels of the world. 
It was four hundred and fifty feet long by ninety feet 
in breadth, and exhibited a border worked in with 
precious stones of various hues to represent a garden 
of all kinds of beautiful flowers. The leaves were 
formed of emeralds and other green colored stones, 
while the buds and blossoms were composed of 
pearls, rubies, sapphires, and other gems of immense 
value. 

The captured robe of state was thickly embroid- 



ANTIQUITY OF THE DIAMOND AS A GEM- 25 

ered with the most beautiful rubies and pearls. 
The arms, helmets, and scimetars found in the 
royal treasury fairly flashed with the gleams of 
the rarest precious stones, so thickly were they 
incrusted over the metal. At a later period of the 
monarchy the Sassanian kings adorned the parapher- 
nalia of their courts to a degree of magnificence 
which is almost incredible. Some of the coins and 
sculptures yet extant have preserved faithful repre- 
sentations of their luxury in dress. Man}" of the 
robes were beautifully embroidered and covered with 
gems and pearls. 

The royal crown at this period, it appears, was 
not worn by the monarch, but was suspended from 
the ceiling in the throne-room directly over the 
king's head when seated on the throne. 

Theophrastus, a Greek writer living three cen- 
turies before the Christian era, does not mention 
the gem in a clear and distinct manner. It is true 
he alludes to adamas, but it is now thought by 
several mineralogists that this term was then ap- 
plied to steel and some of the varieties of corundum. 
The descriptions of the splendid fetes given by the 
army of Alexander at this period, when the wealth 
of India and Persia was brought forth to deck the 
Persian maidens, do not mention the diamond. 

At th\s period, and even in later times, the royal 
insignia and the emblems of Persian authority were 
such as wreaths and vines of pure gold laden with 
flowers and clusters composed chiefly of emeralds, 



26 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

rubies, carbuncles, and other bright-colored gems, 
but not including the adamas. Of like description 
were those famous canopies under which the ancient 
potentates of Persia sat and gave their audiences. 

Pliny, three centuries later, was the first to de- 
scribe the gem in unmistakable terms, but even 
then but very little of a definite character was 
known of it. 

The Eomans had access at an early period to 
the gem-producing countries. Ceylon and India 
had long been known to the Roman merchants, 
and their caravans traversed entire Asia from the 
coast of Syria to the Chinese ocean in two hun- 
dred and forty-three days. Their fleets sailed regu- 
larly in the time of Claudian from the Eed Sea to 
Ceylon, Coromandel, and Malabar. Ceylon was then 
famous for its luminous carbuncles and the lustre 
of its pearls. The famous fairs of Armenia and 
Nisbis, which attracted the merchants of Asia, also 
furnished the Eomans with many of their luxuries. 
There certainly were no serious obstacles to the 
introduction of the gem into the bazaars of the 
wealthy nations of the Mediterranean in early times 
and subsequent periods if it was then an article of 
commerce. 

With the ancient history of the gem there is'also 
a remarkable fact to be considered in its study, — 
its diminutive size. It is believed by many anti- 
quaries that the diamonds known or used by the 
Eomans were w T ell-defined octahedral crystals, of 



ANTIQUITY OP THE DIAMOND AS A GEM. 27 

not over four or four and a half karats weight. It 
may be stated in reply that the exportation of larger 
gems may have been forbidden by the Hindoo rulers, 
as we have seen in later times concerning the rubies 
found in Burmah. But we place but little confidence 
in this objection. Large and fine gems, had they 
been known in the days of Eoman prosperity and 
luxury, would surely have found their way from 
time to time to the wealthy marts of the empire. 

There is other evidence to found the belief that 
most, if not all, of the diamonds of antiquity were of 
small size. The celebrated traveller and diamond 
merchant Tavernier boldly asserted in his day, that 
prior to the sixteenth century the largest diamonds 
seen in India were about ten to twelve karats weight. 
Tavernier was well informed of the history of the 
gem, and had visited several times the most famous 
mines of India. We are inclined to support the 
views of the French traveller, and believe that the 
famous diamonds known as the paragons are of 
modern discovery, or since the sixteenth century. 



28 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTEK III. 

DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 

The diamond is widely dispersed over the earth, 
and undoubtedly occurs in countries where its exist- 
ence is not now suspected. The difficulty of detec- 
tion has restricted its geographical area in history* 
yet enough is known to regard its deposition as 
almost universal, or at least quite as frequent as that 
of gold. In some countries the deposits are very lim- 
ited, while in others, like those of Africa, Brazil, and 
India, they stretch away over immense distances. 

We will proceed to give brief descriptions of the 
well-known diamond districts, and mention others 
but little known to commerce or the mineralogists. 
For more extended accounts of the historical mines 
we must refer the reader to the works of the authors 
quoted in our text. We will commence with those 
of Asia. 

The diamond fields in India are very extensive, 
and occur everywhere among the hills of the great 
range that extends from Cape Comorin through the 
whole of Bengal for a distance of several hundred 
miles and with an average breadth of fifty miles. 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. x 29 

How long these mines have been known to man 
must always remain a matter of conjecture ; hut it is 
nevertheless certain that the famous mines have been 
discovered within the past thousand years, and proba- 
bly a much less period of time. It is stated that 
many of the gem districts along this range have not 
been" explored carefully, and that the kingdoms of 
Golconda and Visapour alone have supplied most of 
the gems known in India. And it is also related 
that none of these localities have been scientifi- 
cally mined or surveyed with a view to thorough 
development. 

The most ancient of the diamond mines in India 
are supposed to be those of Soumelpour, near the 
river Gonet, a tributary of the Ganges ; but the 
celebrated mines of Golconda and Eaolconda have 
been known only since the fifteenth and sixteenth 
centuries. 

The richest mine of India, and the most extraordi- 
nary of any yet discovered in the world, is that 
known by the name of Gani, or Couleur. It is sit- 
uated under a plain at the foot of a mountain about 
seven days' journey west of Golconda, and was dis- 
covered by accident about the middle of the six- 
teenth century. 

A native digging the earth to sow millet threw up 
a bright, clear crystal of twenty-five karats. It was 
soon recognized to be a diamond, and crowds of Hin- 
doos flocked to the fields to reap the most wonderful 
harvest of gems yet known. A vast number of 



30 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

large gems were obtained, and among them the Great 
Mogul, which weighed in its rough condition seven 
hundred and ninety-three karats. The gems of this 
mine were remarkable for their large size, but they 
were not of the clearest and purest water, the color 
and lustre of the stone seeming to partake of the 
quality of the earth composing the matrix. 

This idea, which prevails among the miners in 
other gem districts in India and also in other coun- 
tries, lends support to the belief that the diamonds 
were formed in the strata of gravel where they are 
now found, and not in the hard crystalline rocks and 
afterwards set free by disintegration. 

The matrix of these mines, as well as of all the 
others in different parts of the world, is essentially 
the same ; and consists of rolled or broken masses of 
quartz, mixed or united with sand or earth impreg- 
nated with a ferruginous oxide. Amongst this con- 
glomerate, or immediately below it, mixed with clay, 
the diamonds are found, and generally unattached to 
any substance. 

The earliest and best accounts of the mines of 
Golconda are to be found in the narrative of Taver- 
nier, who visited them in the middle of the seven- 
teenth century. At this time they were in prosper- 
ous condition and furnished occupation to many 
thousand men. There were but four mines then 
worked in Hindostan, and more than sixty thousand 
miners were employed at the mine of Gani, or 
Couleur, alone. About thirty years after the last 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 31 

visit of Tavernier, the Earl Marshal of England, who 
had previously examined the diamond mines on the 
coast of Coromandel, visited those in Bengal. He 
found that diamond mines occurred everywhere along 
the slope of the hills extending through the coun- 
try; but that very few of them were worked, and 
that nearly all of the diamonds then supplied to com- 
merce were obtained from the kingdoms of Golconda 
and Visapour. He gives descriptions of twenty-three 
mines in Golconda and fifteen in Visapour. 

The most famous of these at that time was called 
Currure, and was worked by the king for his own 
use. Several very large gems are said to have been 
found at this locality. It is related that a Portu- 
guese gentleman from Goa, having received permis- 
sion to explore a part of this mine, had the good 
fortune to discover a diamond of two hundred and 
six karats, which so overjoyed him that he erected 
a large stone over the spot with an inscription in 
Hindoo commemorative of the event. 

Near this place there was another famous mine 
which yielded stones of fine form and water, occur- 
ring in black earth, which is regarded in India as a 
singular formation. In all the mines of Visapour the 
diamonds are found in red and yellow earth, and 
this is generally the color of the matrix elsewhere. 

William Methold visited the mines of Golconda at 
a later period, and relates that at that time they gave 
employment to about thirty thousand laborers. The 
means for exploration were then exceedingly simple, 



32 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

and no mechanical contrivances were adopted for 
excavating the pits or bailing out the water. Shafts 
were rudely sunk in the earth to the depth of sixty 
or seventy feet, and the cascalho found at even that 
depth. It appeared to be reddish, mixed with white 
and yellow chalk, and was rich in diamonds. Barely, 
stones of one hundred and twenty to two hundred 
karats were found, while those of ten to fifteen karats 
were quite abundant ; but by far the greater number 
were so minute that it required from eight to twenty 
of them to weigh a karat. 

Within the present century Dr. Buchanan and 
Mr. Voysey visited the mines of India, and have left 
interesting and accurate descriptions of their exami- 
nations and observations. 

The famous mine of Pannah was examined in 1813, 
and found to be situated in a table-land of great 
extent a thousand feet or more above the Gangetic 
plain. The whole plain, wherever the gravelly for- 
mation appeared, afforded diamonds at various depths 
ranging from six feet to twenty- four. Many mines 
were worked in beds or borders of rivers because 
they were easy of access, and the lazy natives lacked 
the ability and means to explore the adjacent plains, 
which abounded in diamonds, but were destitute of 
the water required for washing the gravel. 

The effect of the Brazilian discovery and its yield 
of several tons of diamonds was severely felt in 
Hindostan, and many of its mines were stopped in 
consequence. Yet there is abundant virgin territory 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 33 

left in India for future successful exploration, if con- 
ducted scientifically and with ample means. 

The natives, with their rude methods of mining, 
generally ceased operations when the deposit re- 
quired the removal of twenty-four feet of superin- 
cumbent soil. Hindoo labor, also, though apparently 
very cheap, is in reality costly when we come to 
compare their slow and feeble results to the efforts 
of well organized and conducted operations. Hence 
the diamond has always been a costly gem in Hin- 
dostan, and it is worth more in that country at the 
present time than in Europe. 

Concerning the widespread idea of the reproduc- 
tion of diamonds in India we will make only a brief 
allusion at the present time. 

This theory does not seem to be of a very recent 
date, for the Portuguese traveller Garcias, who had 
been physician to the Viceroy at Goa in the early 
part of the sixteenth century, and who visited the 
mines, has left in his treatise published in 1565, 
some curious notes on the rapid generation of dia- 
monds at that time. And he affirms that the soil 
a few feet below the surface will, in the interval of 
two or three years, produce diamonds again ; but he 
also admits that the largest gems are only found at 
much greater depths. 

Mr. Voysey, who examined the principal mines 
in Southern India in 1821, was also assured by the 
miners of this reproduction; and from his investiga- 
tions he was led to adopt similar views. 

3 



34 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Dr. Buchanan in 1813 visited the famous Pannah 
mine, and these views then prevailed at that 
locality. He examined the diamond-bearing earth, 
but observed nothing very peculiar in its forma- 
tion. It seemed to be very red, and characterized 
by pebbles stained by iron and a great variety 
of quartz in broken fragments, chiefly white in 
color, or stained red in places, or dotted with black 
spots. 

The miners who were then operating the mines 
assured the Doctor " that the generation of diamonds 
is always going forward, and that they have just 
as much chance of success in searching earth which 
has been fourteen or fifteen years unexamined as 
in digging in what has never been disturbed; and 
in fact," he says, "I saw them digging up earth 
which had evidently been before examined, as it 
was lying in irregular heaps as thrown out after 
examination." 

Borneo is thought to be rich in diamonds, but con- 
cerning the extent and productiveness of the placers 
but little definitely is known. The island has long 
been known as abounding in the gem, but travellers 
and mineralogists have been prevented from explor- 
ing it by a variety of causes, chiefly arising from 
opposition of the native rulers and difficulty in pene- 
trating into the interior of the country where the 
mines are found. 

Tavernier was desirous of visiting these mines, 
but was dissuaded from going by these supposed 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 35 

or fancied difficulties, and the fact that the Queen 
at that time forbade the exportation of the gem. 
Therefore we have to regret the absence of the 
report which this able and truthful traveller would 
have made if he had visited those regions. 

The Borneo diamonds are reported to be the best 
in The world, and to owe their excellence to a 
faint steel-like tinge and a very vivid adamantine 
flash. We are inclined to think, however, that dia- 
monds of this description may be found in vari- 
ous countries, and that commerce assigns their 
locality to Borneo as a matter of convenience and 
trade. 

Borneo is yet a terra incognita, and its features 
have not yet been made known to geography or even 
commerce. The second island in size in the world, 
and itself almost a continent, it presents a vast 
field to the explorer, with its broad prairies, im- 
measurable forests, deep and impenetrable jungles, 
interspersed with lofty ridges of mountains. Its 
mineral wealth is undetermined, but enough is known 
to found the belief that the island is one of the rich- 
est in this respect on the globe. 

Concerning the diamond mines we have but im- 
perfect accounts and none of very recent dates. 
However, it is known that the character of the 
mines is the same as that of India and elsewhere, 
and that the gems are found in a gravelly stratum at 
various depths below the surface. The best of these 
mines are said to be situated along the river Lavi, 



36 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

near Sukkademia, and to be worked in a rude man- 
ner by the Malays and Chinese. Mines on the 
northwest coast of the island have been worked 
extensively, but it is reported that no large dia- 
monds have been discovered there. The Colonial 
Secretary, Mr. Low, states that the gems are found 
in the greatest quantities in Sango, Landak, and 
Banjarrnassin, and that the stones, although of small 
size, are of the purest water. 

The quantity of diamonds afforded by Borneo is 
not exactly known, but a recent writer in the Journal 
of the Geographical Society of London gives it as 
about two thousand karats annually. It is also 
stated by various authorities that the mines of the 
island have never yet yielded a diamond of thirty- 
six karats in weight. 

If these reports are correct, how can we explain 
the accounts of the great diamond belonging to the 
Sultan of Mattan, which may be found in the 
History of Java, by Sir Stamford Baffles, and also 
in the Memoirs of the Batavian Society ? 

The famous mines of Brazil, which gave rise to a 
new era in the commerce and history of diamonds, 
were discovered by accident. And we are not aware 
of an instance of the discovery of a single diamond 
district or region of country, with the exception of 
the Urals, which can be ascribed to the results of 
scientific research. Even the wonderfully rich mines 
of the Province of Bahia in Brazil were first made 
known by a slave who noticed the similarity of the 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 37 

soil to that of the diamond mines of Minas Geraes, 
where he had formerly worked. 

In 1727 a Portuguese by the name of Lobo, while 
visiting the gold mines of the Sierra do Frio, a deso- 
late country about four hundred miles north of Eio 
Janeiro, noticed some bright crystals of stone which 
the "ignorant miners picked up from time to time 
and treasured as trifles. Gathering a number of 
them, he submitted them to some Dutch traders, who 
informed him as to their valuable character. The 
Dutch at once contracted with the Brazilian Govern- 
ment for all of the rough diamonds that might be 
found, and for a long time controlled the trade. The 
mines where the gems were first discovered were 
situated in the midst of a desolate country destitute 
of vegetation and of considerable elevation above the 
level of the sea. Since this period other mining 
districts have been discovered, and it is now ascer- 
tained that the whole of the vast territory situated 
between the twelfth and twentieth parallels of lati- 
tude and extending even to Matto Grosso, a thou- 
sand miles distant, belongs to the gem-bearing 
formation. 

This vast space of territory has not been examined 
scientifically, and but little is known of its condition 
except that it is diamond yielding. Since their dis- 
covery the mines have been worked with more or 
less activity with slave labor under the direction of 
companies of large capital. Skilled labor with the 
modern appliances of science has not yet been em- 



38 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

ployed in these mining districts. And the condition 
of the country, its laws, and the controlling power of 
the diamond corporations, will render the application 
'of scientific skill a difficult and hazardous task. The 
explorations are conducted in a primitive manner 
during the dry season, which lasts from April to 
October. They are made generally in the beds of 
the streajms which have been dried up by the sum- 
mer's drouth. Eivers are sometimes diverted from 
their natural course, and their gravelly beds com- 
pletely removed to sheds on the banks to await 
the rainy season, when water, which is required for 
washing, will be in abundance. The cascalho, a 
name given to the peculiar gravel, composed of 
quartz fragments mixed with sand and clay united 
with a ferruginous cement, which contains the dia- 
monds, is then placed in shallow troughs, and a 
stream of water directed upon it until it is well 
cleansed, when it is removed and dried in the sun. 
The dried residue is then carefully searched for dia- 
monds, and it is not always easy to distinguish them 
among a great variety of pebbles, of which the debris 
is chiefly composed. 

Some of the diamond mines were of great extent 
and required many laborers to conduct the opera- 
tions. That of Mandanga employed twelve hundred 
slaves in its excavations alone, besides many free 
persons engaged in other duties. The yield of the 
Brazilian mines at first was enormous, and one thou- 
sand one hundred and forty-six ounces of the pre- 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 39 

cious gem were shipped to Lisbon in one year. The 
vast quantities of the gem thrown upon the markets 
brought the price of them down to five dollars per 
karat. 

Consternation speedily spread among the diamond 
dealers all over the world ; and many of them, believ- 
ing; that the gems would soon be as common as 
transparent quartz, declined to invest largely, even at 
these low prices. But a panic was checked by the 
prompt action of the Brazilian Government, in claim- 
ing the working of the mines as a royal monopoly, 
and also regulating the supply. In this condition of 
affairs the working of the mines and the trade re- 
main at the present day ; but the African discoveries 
and free explorations may change this restriction and 
monopoly if the Cape fields continue to yield their 
present supply. According to the estimates of 
Baron d' Eschwege, the quantity of diamonds ob- 
tained from the Brazilian mines under the Govern- 
ment restrictions averaged between 1730 and 1814 
thirty-six thousand karats annually, the cost of which 
amounted to nearly four dollars per karat. 

From a variety of causes the supply gradually 
diminished until about the year 1830, when the 
diminution was so great, coupled with the increased 
cost of exploration, that the rough stones cost eight 
dollars per karat. In 1843 the discovery of the 
Bahia mines increased greatly the yearly supply, 
which was then about thirty thousand karats. For 
two years after the discovery of the Sincora mines 



40 LEISURE HOURS AMONG TEE GEMS. 

the supply amounted to six hundred thousand karats. 
But the great distance of the mines from the large 
towns and the coast, the fearful malaria which pre- 
vailed in the district, together with the difficulty of 
obtaining supplies, have prevented the working of the 
mines to any great extent ; and in consequence the 
supply in 1852 sank to one hundred and thirty 
thousand karats. In 1732 the price of the rough 
gem was five dollars per karat, but in three years 
after it rose to about eight dollars per karat, and 
remained at that figure as late as 1742. 

The Brazilian diamonds are generally very small 
compared with those yielded by some of the India 
mines, like that of Gani, which produced a great 
many gems of ten to forty karats weight. Of the 
Brazilian yield it was found by Professor Tennant 
that out of one thousand diamonds, one half weighed 
less than half a karat ; three hundred, less than one 
karat ; eighty, one and a half karats ; one hundred 
and nineteen varied from two to twenty karats, and 
only one reached twenty-four karats. 

Brazil still exports annually diamonds to the 
value of several millions of dollars, but the explora- 
tion has probably been checked by the influx from 
South Africa and the consequent fall in prices. 

Out of the immense number of gems yielded by 
these mines, — the district of Minas Geraes is said to 
have produced two tons in weight, — it is strange that 
more large gems have not been found. 

Quite a number of diamonds exceeding fifty karats 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 41 

have been discovered, and several over one hundred 
karats, the largest being known as the Star of the 
South, which weighed two hundred and fifty-four 
karats. This line gem was found in 1853 in the 
mines of Begagem by a negress. It was in the form 
of a dodecahedral crystal. Another fine gem, called 
the Abaethe, was found in 1797 in the alluvium of 
the river Abaethe. Three convicts, banished into the 
interior of the savage country, wandered about from 
thicket to thicket and mountain to mountain, in 
hope of discovering some treasure that would re- 
store them again to their friends. After six years 
of weary wanderings and severe privations they at 
length stumbled upon a diamond of one hundred 
and five karats in the bed of the river above named. 
They ventured to return to the inhabited regions and 
confided their good fortune to a priest. He took 
them at once to the Governor of Villa-Eica, who sus- 
pended the sentence of the convicts and sent the 
priest to Eio Janeiro with the gem. 

A frigate was despatched with the treasure and 
the clergyman to Lisbon. The King, delighted with 
his acquisition, fully pardoned the convicts and ad- 
vanced the priest to a high rank in his profession. 

Many attempts have been made to trace the dia- 
monds of Minas Geraes to primitive and unbroken 
rocks on the more elevated plateaux or even among 
the more distant mountains. And sometimes the gems 
have been found in cascalho at a great elevation, or 
perhaps in crevices of the sandstones ; and hence the 



42 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

idea has arisen that the solid matrix has been found. 
The cascalho is the true matrix, whether found in 
the lowlands or on the mountain peaks. The color 
of this conglomerate is not uniform and varies in 
many districts. At the rich St. Antonio's mine it is 
of a dark gray ; at the Veneno it is of a light ochre 
with lumps cemented with ferruginous oxide ; in the 
Pitanga mine it is of a light gray and almost white, 
and contains but few diamonds, but of the finest 
quality. The observer is sometimes led to believe 
that the abundance of the ferruginous oxide is evi- 
dence of the abundance of gems, and this fact is also 
noticed in the famous mines of Ceylon, where, how- 
ever, the diamond does not occur. 

Concerning the accounts of finding the diamonds 
in Brazil in their native rock, as described by Claus- 
sen and later still by Eedington, we are not yet will- 
ing to give full credence any more than to the stories 
of diamonds having been found in the " old rock" in 
India. We have no doubt of the gem having been 
found in what appears to be a soft sandstone, but 
which is in reality a secondary product like the hete- 
rogeneous cascalho. And we can conceive this sand- 
stone-like deposit to be formed at the bottom of 
lagoons under like conditions which gave origin to 
the conglomerate. 

Claussen published in the Bulletins of the Aca- 
demy of Sciences and Belles-lettres at Brussels, in 
1841, an interesting account of his observations while 
searching for a matrix of the diamond. 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 43 

He affirms that the gems are found at the mines 
of Grammagon in beds of a soft sandstone, which he 
calls a psammite sandstone, and which resembles the 
itacolumite, which is much harder. He also de- 
scribes several specimens in which the gems are 
embedded in the sandstone, but admits that they are 
not very common. The same writer mentions in- 
stances where they are said to have occurred between 
plates of mica like the flattened garnets. Further- 
more, he states that the crystals found in the itacolu- 
mite are rounded octahedrons and those found in 
psammite sandstone are perfect octahedrons. 

Claussen, although he believed the itacolumite to 
be the matrix of the gem, was unable to explain its 
total absence in places where the itacolumite was 
greatly developed. He was also forced, when tracing 
the origin of the cascalho, to admit the existence of 
a secondary itacolumite posterior to the transition 
formation. 

It is interesting as well as perplexing to follow 
the multitude of views expressed by mineralogists 
when attempting to explain the formation of the 
diamond. Most of them are determined to give the 
gem an ancient origin, and insist upon the action 
of plutonic forces upon dioritic veins. Humboldt 
maintained that the gems of the Ural Mountains had 
a geological relation to the carboniferous dolomite of 
Adolfskoi as well as to augitic porphyry. But Ver- 
neuil and Murchison, examining the mines, found the 
alluvia which contained the diamonds had no carbon ; 



44 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

therefore the hypothesis was incorrect, and the matrix 
of the stone must be sought in another direction. 
The mines of Brazil have been examined during a 
century past by a number of geologists and amateurs 
like Mawe, Martins, St. Hilaire, Claussen, Eschw£ge, 
Burton, Hartt, and others ; and to their works we 
must refer the reader for extended descriptions of 
the geological features of the country and the pecul- 
iarities of the gem mines. 

In the recent exploration of the diamond fields 
by Professor Hartt, the Professor decidedly opposes 
the views of Claussen by saying, " I do not believe 
that the diamond ever occurs in the true palaeozoic 
itacolumite in Brazil, but that it is derived from the 
tertiary sandstones." After casual examination of the 
diamond-bearing sands of the mines in Bahia, he is 
also led to believe that they have resulted from the 
disintegration of Chapada sandstones ; and he regrets 
that they have never been critically examined, for 
he thinks that the mystery of the origin of the dia- 
mond may be solved from their study. 

However, from the multitude of hypotheses to 
which the study of the subject has given rise, we 
find nothing to shake our confidence in the belief of 
the formation of the diamond in the secondary gravel 
beds where they are now found. 

Shortly after the opening of the Bahia mines, 
black, brown, and even clay-colored pebbles were 
found associated with the transparent diamonds in 
the cascalho. These pebbles were of various sizes, 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 45 

generally quite small, but sometimes appearing in 
masses as large as one thousand karats. Their 
nature was not at first recognized, and they were 
thrown aside with all other stones of little or no 
value. Finally a quantity was gathered and sent to 
a merchant in Paris, where they were seen by Count 
de Douhet. The Count in 1867 presented a notice 
of them to the Academy of Sciences and pronounced 
them to be massive carbon, and a variety of the 
diamond. The exact localities in Brazil where it 
occurs we are unable to describe, but believe them 
to be situated in the Province of Bahia. As to 
the quantity gathered we are also unable to give 
a definite opinion, but have reason to think that it 
is quite limited ; and, moreover, we have yet to learn 
that it occurs in any other diamond mines in the 
world. 

The color of the carbon, or carbonado, as it is called 
by the Brazilians, is generally black, but it may be 
light-brown or of a greenish gray color, when diluted 
with clay. It is always opaque, but is not always 
compact, being sometimes quite porous, like pumice- 
stone. It never crystallizes, but generally appears in 
angular pieces in lumps or concretionary masses whose 
specific gravity is 3 to 3.4, while that of the trans- 
parent diamond is 3.5. 

The black and perfectly crystallized diamond, which 
is very rare, is not to be confounded with this variety. 

The hardness of the carbon is equal to that of the 
transparent diamond, and probably some of the pur- 



46 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

est and most compact specimens are harder even 
than the limpid variety ; for the black gems are gen- 
erally harder than the light-colored, and we have for 
instances the deep-blue sapphire, the black tourma- 
line, etc. 

At first this newly discovered mineral was pulver- 
ized, and its powdered dust used to polish diamonds 
and other gems, and was then sold for a few francs 
the karat. Lately, however, science has applied its 
use to new inventions ; and the demand for it in its 
application to the drill and the saw has increased 
its value to several dollars the karat, and the price is 
still increasing. Its advantages over the crystallized 
varieties are very decided, and it is as hard and has 
no cleavage planes, and is therefore far better able 
to resist the effects of shock. 

The only diamond known to have been found in 
modern times in Western Europe is that picked up 
in a brook in the County of Fermanagh in Ireland. 
Its weight was not given, but it was stated to be of 
a reddish cast and valued by Mr. Eundell at twenty 
guineas. Some mineralogists have maintained that 
the stone in question was not in place and was prob- 
ably brought in the crop of some bird of passage 
from Brazil or the tropical countries of America. 

To us, however, a more plausible and probable 
theory would be that the stone was in place, and that 
its presence is no more remarkable than the gold 
nuggets found in the same country. In fact, this 
instance is no more strange than the finding of the 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 47 

great American diamond in Virginia, which was also 
a solitaire and many miles below the auriferous fields 
whence it is supposed to have drifted. We shall not 
be surprised to learn of the occurrence of diamonds in 
other parts of Europe. Pliny ends his chapter on 
the diamond by stating on the authority of Scepsius 
that diamonds are found in Germany and in the 
island of Basilia along with amber. 

Eastern Eussia was long ago suspected of being 
diamondiferous; and as early as 1826 Maurice Engle- 
hardt pointed out the resemblance of the Ural dis- 
tricts to those of Brazil. It was, however, left to 
Humboldt and his companions to make known the 
actual occurrence of these gems in this country. For 
in 1829, during their visit to Siberia, they discovered 
several diamonds on the estates of Count Porlier, 
about one hundred and sixty miles west of Perm, on 
the western declivity of the Ural Mountains. Ac- 
tive search having been instituted, forty diamonds 
were found in the detritus on the banks of the 
Adolfskoi. Strange to relate, they were discovered 
in the gold-bearing alluvium twenty feet above the 
stratum containing bones of mammoths and rhinoc- 
eroses. Since this period they have also been found 
at several other places along the Uralian chain. 

In commenting upon the occurrence of these dia- 
monds of the Adolfskoi which are preserved in the 
collection of Prince Butera, some of our best geolo- 
gists have come to a startling conclusion. 

Humboldt, Sir Eoderick Murchison, and M. Ver- 



48 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

neuil, obtaining information from different points 
in Siberia, have been led to the belief that the 
diamond in these localities was formed at a date 
subsequent to the destruction of the mammoths. 

Since this period Colonel Helmersen has made 
known other points along the Uralian chain of moun- 
tains where the gem has been found, as Ekaterinsburg, 
Ivushvinsk, and Versch-Urak. But we have no in- 
formation of " placers " of any considerable extent 
having been discovered, or the finding of the gem in 
sufficient numbers to warrant systematic explorations. 

Future research may reveal other localities in 
Siberia where this gem occurs, for the country was 
known to the ancients as furnishing the adamas. 

Amnian in the fourth century mentions the region 
of Agathyrsi as one of the gem-bearing countries ; and 
this country included the Ural Mountains and part of 
Siberia. It is not at all strange that the exact local- 
ities should have been forgotten during the long 
intervening space of time and the many political 
convulsions that have interrupted commercial inter- 
course with those far-off regions. 

It was well known that Scythia furnished the 
ancients with gold for centuries; but in modern times 
all trace of the localities was lost until revealed by 
the researches of German miners exploring for copper 
and iron. Stranger still, the locality of the gold mines 
in Spain, so famous in ancient times, is unknown at 
the present day. 

The gold fields of the Southern States of North 



DIAMOND LOrALITIES. . 49 

America have been known to be diamond-bearing for 
forty years or more, but as yet no earnest or well- 
directed search has been made for the gems. During 
this period of time more than thirty diamonds have 
been picked up by accident along the gold belt 
which extends from the central and eastern portion 
of Alabama, through Georgia, North and South Caro- 
lina, even to the interior of Virginia. All along this 
auriferous formation the itacolumite appears in the 
gravel beds or in ledges or even in large mountains 
in some localities. 

In Alabama, where the itacolumite is abundant, 
several fine diamonds of three or four karats weight- 
have been found. 

The northeastern portion of Georgia has also 
yielded some beautiful stones to the miners while 
washing for gold. Some of these we have seen and 
found them to be of the purest water. The Glade 
mines, a few miles north of Gainesville, have yielded 
several fine diamonds, some of which have been cut 
in London. They were found by accident in the 
riffles of the gold-washing machines, and were pre- 
served by the miners simply as curiosities. At the 
Horshaw gold mines, a few miles farther to the 
northeast, a large diamond was picked up, but un- 
fortunately destroyed by the ignorance of the laborers, 
who unluckily reasoned like the ancients concerning 
its destructibility, and therefore tried the effects of a 
heavy sledge upon it while placed on an anvil. An 
examination of this last deposit in 1866 convinced 

4 



50 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the writer that it was a true diamond field; and 
search was rewarded with the finding of two small 
but well-crystallized diamonds. So far as we can 
ascertain, all the diamonds thus far discovered in 
these regions have been finely crystallized. 

North Carolina has also yielded some fine speci- 
mens of three and four karats weight ; but the largest 
diamond thus far found in the United States and 
preserved was picked up in 1856 on the banks of the 
James Biver, opposite the city of Eichmond in Vir- 
ginia. The spring floods had probably washed it 
down from the gold fields which are situated a few 
miles above. The stone was a well-defined octahedral 
crystal. Its weight, while in the rough state, was 
about twenty-five karats, and its color was of a faint 
greenish white tinge. Its transparency was perfect, 
but its refractions were somewhat impaired by a flaw 
or a speck in the interior. 

The American diamond-cutting establishment of 
Morse, Crosby, & Foss, of Boston, cut this gem 
very successfully at the cost of about $1,300. The 
stone was purchased by a distinguished American 
athlete in New York, and worn by him in a breast- 
pin for many years. 

None of these diamond fields have been exam- 
ined systematically by experienced miners with a 
view to their development, and in fact no definite 
idea of their limit or their value can be given. But 
we have the impression that they are far more ex- 
tensive than has been imagined by mineralogists. 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 51 

The returning gem-seekers who have been educated 
in the diamond mines of South Africa may investi- 
gate ere long these unknown districts and settle the 
question beyond further inquiry. In California, a 
few diamonds are reported to have been found here 
and there among the gold fields, but nothing like a 
gem* placer has yet been revealed. The geological 
formations of Arizona and ISTew Mexico are more 
promising than any part of the United States, and 
explorations may disclose extensive and valuable 
gem deposits in those regions. The originators of 
the famous diamond swindle in Arizona chose their 
locality with more than ordinary sagacity. 

The account of this daring scheme reads more 
like romance than realit}'', and it was more than 
ordinary boldness that prompted the perpetrators to 
visit foreign lands, purchase quantities of rough dia- 
monds and then plant them in a distant, desolate, 
and hostile country to entrap the wary speculator. 
The success of this piracy was fortunately checked 
by the sagacity of one of the United States geologists 
exploring the adjacent territory, who quickly dis- 
closed the fraud, but not in time to prevent the 
swindlers from pocketing large sums of money from 
speculators in California. 

Pliny mentioned Arabia as one of the localities of 
the gem ; but modern investigators believe that he 
founded his views on the facts of the diamonds being 
obtained from Arabian merchants, and that they 
really came from other countries. 



52 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

This probably is the true version of the commerce 
of the Arabians in those days ; but we see no objec- 
tion to the belief that Arabia may have been a dia- 
mond-bearing country in early times, and may possess 
undeveloped fields at the present day. Northern 
Africa was also asserted to be diamond yielding, and 
modern investigators have established the truth of 
the assertion. 

In the year 1867 the attention of gem-seekers was 
turned to vague reports of the discovery of rich 
diamond fields in South Africa, and the pages of 
history were examined closely to prove that in 
ancient times this continent was known as a dia- 
mond country. It is undoubtedly true that Africa 
yielded diamonds to the ancients, for within thirty 
years several have been found in Algiers, and are 
now preserved in the collections of Paris. They 
were discovered in the auriferous sands of the river 
Goumal, in the Province of Constantine, by natives 
while washing for gold. They were small in size 
but of unmistakable character. This discovery 
strengthens the ancient report of the Carthaginians' 
procuring the gems from the Etrurians, who brought 
them from the interior of Africa. 

In 1867 a diamond was discovered by accident 
in the soil several hundred miles north of the Cape 
of Good Hope. The report was not credited, and 
it was not until a number had been found and 
tested that the attention of adventurous men was 
fairly aroused. Success soon rewarded the labors 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 53 

of the first bands of gem-seekers ; and the news, wide- 
spread over the world, soon brought thousands of de- 
termined and hardy men, who are even yet earnestly 
exploring the gem districts and also revolutionizing 
the country. 

The gem mines now under process of exploration 
are situated on the Vaal Eiver and its tributaries, 
the best of them being found near the junction of 
the Vaal and Orange Rivers and from five to six 
hundred miles north of the Cape. The locality 
known as Du Toits Pan soon became famous and 
yielded a great number of diamonds, some of them 
over 100 karats and one reaching the great weight 
of 288f karats. The topography of the country 
around these mines is characterized by low, fiat- 
topped hills, which strike the observer at once by 
their singularity. The storm clouds, their frequency, 
their dull gray hue, their constant commotion, and 
the nearness of their approach to the earth are 
also quickly noticed by the new-comer, so strangely 
different are they from the ordinary atmospheric 
changes. 

Five miles to the north of Du Toits occurs one of 
the most remarkable mines yet discovered in any 
part of the world. It is called Colesberg Kopje, and 
although one of the richest spots of the globe, it is 
also one of the meanest places on God's earth. 
Several thousand men have been actively engaged 
upon it for a number of years past, and many thou- 
sand diamonds have been' taken from it. So rich 



54 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

has been its yield that it is stated that four thousand 
have been obtained in a single day. 

The extent of the excavation is enormous, and 
yet all has been done by simple and even rude 
means. But little advantage has been taken of the 
use of machinery and skilled labor, and most of the 
operations have been conducted in a primitive man- 
ner. The distance to the coast and the great ex- 
pense of transportation is perhaps the principal 
reason why different and more satisfactory arrange- 
ments have not been made. 

The photographs of the appearance of this field 
and its excavations strike one with amazement. 
The countless array of tents in the distance on 
the borders of the deposit ; the thousands of busy 
miners ; the huge and deep ditches stretching across 
the plain, vast enough to float a fleet of men-of-war ; 
the lofty mounds of thrown-up earth, — all together 
present a startling picture never to be forgotten. 

The depths of these enormous ditches vary from 
ten to more than one hundred feet. 

All this herculean labor has been performed in less 
than twenty years under the stimulus of extraordi- 
nary prosperity, and it indicates a determination to 
explore the country thoroughly. 

As yet there has been no complete survey of these 
regions, and the extent of the diamond fields is still 
unknown. Sufficient evidence, however, has been 
received to indicate that they cover an area of one 
thousand square miles, and are situated principally 



DIAMOND LOCALITIES. 55 

in the Orange Eiver Free State, but also extend into 
the Transvaal Eepublic and Cape Colony. These dis- 
tricts alone will afford remunerative labor for some 
time to come, and we have little doubt but that other 
fields of even greater extent will before long be dis- 
covered in other parts of Africa. 

For a long time past we have been led to regard 
this continent as containing the most extensive and 
richest diamond deposits on the globe. A great por- 
tion of Africa belongs to the geological conditions 
which produce the diamonds, and the present ex- 
plorations will educate a host of gem-seekers, who 
will not only investigate other parts of Africa, but 
will also explore other countries. Therefore we may 
expect the diamond trade to receive a strong impetus 
for some years to come, and that new mines may for 
a time reduce the present prices of the gem. 

The largest diamond yet afforded by the South 
Africa mines is that called the Stewart. It was 
found at Waldeck's plant, in November, 1872, by a 
man named Antonies. Its form was that of a modi- 
fied octahedron, beautifully crystallized, and exhibit- 
ing a faint tinge of yellow. On the outside of the 
crystal were a few specks and flaws, but the interior 
appears to be free from imperfections. Its original 
weight was 288-| karats. 

A vast number of the diamonds found in these 
fields are tinged with a faint hue, generally yellow or 
faint brown. This peculiarity was also noticed with 
the yield of the Brazilian mines. 



56 LEISURE HOURS AMONG TEE GEMS. 

It is quite impossible to give a correct account of 
the quantity afforded by these mines up to the pres- 
ent time. It amounts to many millions of dollars, 
and is sufficiently large to produce a marked effect 
upon the market, but nothing like the panic which 
followed the discovery of the Brazilian mines. The 
value of the diamonds exported at Cape Town in 
1871 is said to have been $7,500,000, but it was 
probably much greater. 

Australia has afforded to the gold miners quite a 
number of small diamond crystals, and gem fields 
undoubtedly occur within its borders. Among the 
auriferous sands of the Maguarie River minute crys- 
tals have been picked by the careless miner from 
time to time, and other localities have also afforded 
specimens of the mineral, but no systematic search 
has yet been made for them. A number of these 
specimens of diamonds, although of minute form, 
were exhibited at Melbourne in 1865. 

The islands of Java and Sumatra yield diamonds 
among their mineral treasures, but, strange to say, 
the island of Ceylon, which is the most remarkable 
gem deposit in the world, does not produce a single 
specimen. The island is not far distant from the 
gem districts of lower Bengal. The formation ap- 
pears to be of the same character," but it is evident 
that the geological conditions which deposited the 
sapphire, the zircon, spinel, etc., differed from those 
required by the diamond. 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 57 



CHAPTEE IV. 

ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 

The origin of this precious stone has been a favor- 
ite study with man from the earliest times of its 
history ; and, as we have already stated, it has given 
birth to a multitude of hypotheses. 

The peculiar fascination which attends the con- 
templation of the gems arises partly from their com- 
mercial distinction, as well as from certain mysterious 
properties with which they have been invested not 
only by tradition but even by scientific research. 

We will not, however, venture to affirm that they 
are more wonderful or deserving of a higher place in 
the estimation of man than the beautiful and more 
transient flowers of vegetation. Both are indeed 
objects of our highest consideration. 

The transparent diamonds always occur in crystal- 
line forms, although they sometimes appear almost 
amorphous or even cylindrical or globular. Its prim- 
itive form, however, is the octahedron. 

They are found generally in limited deposits, which 
are often as shallow and well denned as the gold 
fields, which are termed placers ; aud therefore we will 
also call the diamond fields " diamond placers." 



58 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

In some " placers " the shapes of the crystals are 
perfectly regular, while in others they are greatly 
modified and rendered indistinct. In some mines 
they occur in fine octahedrons with beautifully trun- 
cated edges, but in other districts the rare form of 
the regular cube may abound. Every section of the 
diamond-bearing countries seems to have some pecul- 
iarity either in color, form, or arrangement of crystal. 
It is indeed true that experts, from an examina- 
tion of the rough specimen, are sometimes able to 
detect the locality whence the diamond was obtained. 
The same facility may be applied to the natural 
crystals of other gems, but it cannot be established as 
a fixed or general rule. The diamond " placers," dis- 
tinct and well defined, are far more numerous on the 
earth's crust than is generally believed. 

A thousand plausible and often ingenious theories 
on the geological character of the diamond have been 
advanced in modern times or within a century past ; 
and a great variety of rocks or mineral substances 
extending from itacolumite to xanthophyllite have 
been affirmed to be the parent mineral. The real 
matrix, or such as we believe it to be, of the dia- 
mond is the same all over the world. The associate 
minerals which form the conglomerate in which it is 
generally found may vary somewhat, but the charac- 
ter of the deposit is but little changed. This matrix 
is a secondary product, and consists of a conglomerate 
gravel which once abounded in remains of animal 
and vegetable life. 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 59 

The keen eye of Buffon early detected the forma- 
tion of the true gem strata ; and believing that the 
gems were produced in these peculiar beds by the 
solar forces, he boldly asserted that they were formed 
in the superficial strata from debris of older forma- 
tions, mineral, animal, and vegetable. " On ne peut 
leur donner d 'autre origine, d 'autre matrice que la 
terre limoneuse qui rassemblant les debris des autres , 
matieres." 

This matrix is a well-defined conglomerate, which 
is found generally on elevated plateaux, and which 
corresponds to the bottoms of shallow lagoons or 
lakes of inconsiderable depth. In the earthy por- 
tion, which is composed of a variety of cUbris, 
occur the diamonds, interspersed among the quartz 
or rock pebbles, and in a marked and continuous 
layer. These formations are well known to the geol- 
ogist, |©r they occur in almost every country on the 
globe. 

In various parts of the earth's structure we find 
solid strata of conglomerate and sandstone, which 
have been formed at distant and different periods of 
the world's history. In other places we may observe 
the loose materials of the same formation awaiting 
transformation when exposed to the action of water 
highly charged with iron, lime, or silica, and we may 
even see the process taking place at the present 
day. For example, we will take the broad tracts of 
level country known in the south of France as the 
"Landes." Here we have an excellent illustration 



60 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the formation of the gem beds, lacking, however, 
the precious stones. Below the surface of these 
plains, and generally at the depth of about three 
feet, a conglomerate called " allios " has formed, and 
is still in the process of forming. This stony layer, 
which is composed of quartz pebbles mixed with 
sand, has been cemented strongly together by the 
vegetable and organic matter which has trickled 
down from the surface of the earth during indefi- 
nite periods of time. The action of this organic 
debris soon renders the conglomerate quite impervi- 
ous to water, and retards its passing into the sand 
beds or other strata below. In consequence thereof 
these broad tracts of level lands become stagnant 
lagoons of water during the rainy seasons, and all 
the remains of vegetable and other organic life sink 
down into these layers of stone, gradually filling up 
the interstices among the rocks and lesser pebbles. 

This collection of decayed various organic sub- 
stances is generally of a gray or blackish color, or 
may be of a rusty yellow hue like ferruginous sand- 
stone. Its cementing power has given a special 
name to the formation it has caused ; and to the gold- 
miner it is known as hard-pan, to the gem-seeker as 
cascalho or " mellan." Its peculiar hue, together 
with the metallic fracture of its layers, has given rise 
to the belief that it was composed chiefly of a fer- 
ruginous oxide. Eecent analysis, however, of the 
" allios " has shown that this idea is partly erroneous, 
and that the color and the substance of the forma- 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 61 

tion in reality arises from the juice and debris of 
plants loaded with tannin and other matter. Iron, 
it seems from these investigations, is present only 
in small quantities, and also is afforded by the secre- 
tion of vegetable life. However, the quantity of 
iron in the conglomerate varies considerably in dif- 
ferent localities, but most of it seems to be acquired 
from the action of vegetable vitality. 

These conglomerates of the Landes have been a 
long time in process of formation ; but in other 
localities, like those of the Cape de Verde, to which 
the waves of the sea have had access, we may 
witness the transformation going on with rapidity. 
No great time is required by nature for this pro- 
duction, but rather the application or conjunction 
of certain materials exposed to the action of chemi- 
cal changes and telluric forces. 

It has been asserted that the diamond has been 
found embedded in the singular quartzite to which 
Count D'Eschwege gave the name of itacolumite, 
but we are inclined from examination of one of 
these specimens to think that its presence is quite 
accidental. 

In the State of Georgia there are immense beds of 
itacolumite, appearing, also, here and there along the 
auriferous formation which extends from Virginia to 
central Alabama ; and they afford ample fields for 
proof of the statement that the mineral is really the 
true matrix of the gem. But, after careful examina- 
tion of some of these exposed rocks, we are led to 



62 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

regard the itacoluuiite as an associate mineral to the 
diamond, and that any farther connection with the 
gem is very distant. Fragments of this rock are 
quite often found together with quartz in the con- 
glomerate ; but we do not regard their presence as 
essential as that of a ferruginous oxide, which is one 
of the distinguishing features of all gem mines, and 
especially of the famous deposits of Ceylon, where 
the diamond is never found. 

The best and most characteristic mines of India, 
Brazil, and Africa are situated on elevated plateaux, 
where there is at present but little vegetation. 

To give the reader an idea of the formation, we 
will describe one of the districts of South Africa, 
which may serve to illustrate all others. At Pnict 
Kopje, in the Vaal region, the diamonds are found 
on an elevated plateau one hundred and fifty feet 
above the river bed; and many of them have been 
discovered but two or three feet below the surface, 
in company with fossil wood and even bones. In 
the Orange Eiver Eepublic they occur frequently 
in peculiar isolated and circumscribed spots, called 
by the miners " pans." These are basin-like hollows 
which are filled with water during the wet seasons. 
In these pans none of the diamonds exhibit signs of 
abrasion caused by shock or attrition, although the 
quartz pebbles forming the gravel and conglomerate 
show in their rounded angles evidences of aqueous 
action. The gems are not only found in the shallow 
edges of these hollows, but are taken from depths of 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 63 

one hundred feet and more. And they are always 
found in their peculiar and. connected conglomerate, 
which seems to have formed at the bottom of some 
pool or lake. Hence we may explain the superficial 
depth of the cascalho at the shores of the extinct pond, 
and the increased depth at central parts of the fields. 
If motion had taken place among the pebbles form- 
ing the conglomerate after the deposition of the 
diamond, we might properly look for worn surfaces 
on the gems from shock with contact with loose 
rocks; for slight blows will mar the surface of the 
diamond, even if its edges scratch all other minerals 
with perfect ease. 

In these pans the diamonds are natural in form, 
indicating that they have not moved since the time 
they were deposited. But in the beds of the rivers 
which have in later times worn deep ravines in the 
face of the country we find diamonds with abraded 
surfaces, having been rolled about by the torrents 
for indefinite periods of time. Whence come the 
alluvial soils and the gravel beds which cover the 
gem strata and completely fill up the lake depres- 
sion, especially when there are no surrounding ele- 
vations to furnish disintegrated material ? 

This seriou^ question will naturally arise in the 
minds of all observers ; and to answer it clearly will 
be a difficult task. Sometimes the thought occurs to 
us that much of the quartz gravel has formed in 
these pools at subsequent periods and has been 
broken up and rolled about by the waves until 



64 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

another stratum of alluvium has formed above it ; 
but we will not venture to assert an opinion to this 
effect. Still, it is a great mystery to ascertain whence 
some of the quartz pebbles came from in the present 
elevated condition of the placers and the absence of 
similar rocks in the vicinity. There is another fact 
connected with the diamond placers which deserves 
consideration, and that is their great elevation above 
the sea level. 

The mines of India, Africa, and Brazil are situated 
at a considerable altitude above the ocean. Those of 
India are generally a thousand feet above the sea 
level ; while the wonderful gem mines of the adjacent 
island of Ceylon, which are also true placers, occur 
but few feet above the line of the tides, but do not 
yield the diamond. It is certainly remarkable that 
Ceylon does not afford this gem among the great 
number of other precious stones. At first thought 
the idea occurs to the observer that as flora and 
fauna have their distribution according to certain 
elevations a similar rule may be applied to the 
deposition of minerals. But there are too many 
exceptions known to oppose this view, however 
pleasing the theory may be. 

One of the strongest arguments in, favor of the 
theory of the recent deposition of the gem is con- 
nected with its discovery in the gold mines of the 
Adolfskoi in Siberia, Here they were found in al- 
luvial strata twenty feet above those deposits which 
contained the bones of the mammoth and the rhi- 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 65 

noceros. Hence Humboldt, Murchison, and Verneuil 
were led to the conclusion that they had been 
deposited there since the introduction of animal 
life. There are also some remarkable evidences 
to sustain the view that these gems were formed 
in the conglomerate and earth where they are now 
found. In some of the mines of India they have 
been taken out of red earth with the earth clinging 
to their sides as if it had become attached to them, 
while the crystals were of a soft, glutinous substance. 
In the Museum of Eio Janeiro there is a large 
rounded diamond which has very distinct impres- 
sions of grains of sand upon its sides. The British 
Museum contains an octahedral crystal attached to 
alluvial gold, and Dr. ISTello Franka mentions another 
which enclosed a leaf of gold. A number of speci- 
mens have been observed containing splinters of 
ferruginous quartz and crystals of other substances. 
The microscope often reveals in the interior of these 
stones germs of fungi and even vegetable fibres of 
higher organization, some of which resemble the 
moss-like appearance seen in the moss agates. 

It was from the study of these conditions, con- 
nected with the fact that the stone becomes black 
when strongly heated, that Goppert was led to assert 
that it could not be of igneous origin. It was also 
from investigation of the refractive powers of the 
gem that Sir David Brewster was induced to as- 
sume the hypothesis that it was, or that it might 
be, a congealed secretion of a vegetable production. 

5 



66 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

This distinguished philosopher was seeking a per- 
fect lens for microscopic use; and discovered that 
the diamond, notwithstanding its immense refractive 
power, was of very doubtful character in its adapta- 
tion to this purpose, and that its laminae were some- 
times of different shades and even arranged in a 
series of stratification. They not only differed from 
each other in color and purity, but did not exhibit a 
common focus. Therefore, Brewster was led to infer 
from these and other phenomena that the mineral 
was of vegetable origin, and that its parts must 
have been held in solution before crystallization 
took place. 

There is nothing very startling in this hypothesis, 
no more so than in the case of the amber, which is 
now admitted to be a fossil resin, and which is, in 
its refractive powers, second only to the diamond. 
Therefore we cannot object to the theory of vegetable 
origin on account of the property of brilliancy. 

Tavernier observed that the color of the diamonds 
in India often partook of the color of the gravel in 
which they were deposited, — white, reddish, black- 
ish, or greenish, according to the color and purity of 
the matrix. This fact has also been noticed in Bra- 
zil ; and it lends support to the view that the gems 
have been deposited under stagnant water, and have 
received some tinge from its color. 

The diamond is admitted by microscopists to be 
one of the foulest gems known to them ; and speci- 
mens are rare that do not exhibit cavities, imper- 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 67 

fections, or foreign matter in their interior. A 
painstaking microscopist, after examining the large 
collection of rough crystals of the East India Com- 
pany in London, which numbered several hundred 
specimens, came to the following conclusion : " It 
seems to be a general truth that there are compara- 
tively few diamonds without cavities and flaws, and 
that the diamond is a fouler stone than any other 
used in jewelry." 

Berzelius first called attention to a black sub- 
stance which he found in a diamond belonging to 
the collection of Countess Porlier; and since then 
many other examples have been observed. Fre- 
quently black specks resembling anthracite have 
been noticed in the Brazilian diamonds. Tavernier 
saw in India a large diamond of one hundred and 
four karats, whose central portion was so foul as to 
render the stone worthless. When it was cut open 
the cavity yielded about eight karats of filth, resem- 
bling that of a rotten weed. 

The diamond is now recognized by the chemist as 
a crystalline form of pure carbon. Newton, in 1675, 
with the wonderful penetration of his genius, and 
reasoning from the high refractive power of the gem, 
which so far exceeded the degree due its density, be- 
lieved it to be combustible. More than a century 
later the experimentalists of the Academy of Florence 
strengthened this view by destroying it in the focus 
of powerful burning mirrors. Lavoisier, however, 
dispelled all doubts concerning its combustibility by 



68 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

burning it under a receiver filled with oxygen gas. 
It has since been ascertained that a temperature of 
14° Wedgewood completely volatilizes the diamond, 
producing carbonic acid gas. An English experi- 
mentalist, however, has recently declared that the 
gem may be consumed at a red heat, and maintains 
that he has accomplished this result by enveloping 
the stone in certain alkalies. 

It has been admitted by eminent geologists that 
the diamond proceeded from the slow decomposition 
of vegetable material, and even animal matter, as the 
requisite carbon could be obtained from either source. 
But they have also strenuously maintained that the 
gem w T as formed under the same conditions of heat as 
produced the metamorphism of argillaceous and are- 
naceous schists, these schists being supposed to have 
once been altered from shales impregnated with car- 
bonaceous substances of organic origin. To this 
theory the revelations of the microscope offer deci- 
sive objections, since this instrument shows that 
there has been no action of heat in the formation 
of the stone, for the vegetable remains often detected 
in the interior of the mineral forbid the development 
of any considerable degree of caloric. Therefore, as 
there is no evidence of the influence or effect of heat 
upon these organic matters within the diamond, the 
theory must be abandoned. 

Geologists have been, perhaps, too tenacious in 
their views of the origin of many of the rocks that 
compose the earth's crust, and especially in main- 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 69 

taining that many crystalline rocks are as old as 
the dawn of creation. We know that some of 
these minerals may be produced artificially at the 
present day, and that the forces that arranged all 
rocks of a high molecular organization are still in 
force. 

We" sometimes speak of old crystalline rocks with 
the inference that their age is beyond comparison, 
and therefore undetermined. Yet the microscope is 
constantly lessening the force of these views by re- 
vealing prodigious numbers of minute and animal 
forms in fossil condition in various kinds of crys- 
talline rocks. 

We also observe that various forms of silex have 
been deposited on the earth in recent periods of its 
history, and even since the appearance of animal 
life, for we find their remains transformed into 
agate. Thus it is evident that nature still pos- 
sesses the power to deposit certain forms of mineral 
substances. 

Arago and Biot, reasoning from the energy of the 
refractive power of the diamond, were inclined to 
believe that it contained hydrogen. Sir Humphrey 
Davy suspected the presence of oxygen, but sought 
for it in vain after many careful experiments. Chau- 
courtois, however, deriving a theory from chemical 
results, came to the view that the stone is derived 
by the humid process from a hydrocarburet. Reason- 
ing from the process of forming sulphur from hydro- 
sulphuretted emanations, he believed that in the 



70 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

humid oxidation of a carburetted hydrogen the hydro- 
gen is oxidized, while part of the carbon becomes 
carbonic acid, and the rest remains as carbon and 
may crystallize into diamond. 

Supposing this hypothesis to be correct, where do 
you find the required materials for the formation of 
the diamond ? the reader may ask. At the bottom 
of these lagoons the decomposition of organic mat- 
ter furnished abundant means for the production 
of the gem. Carbonic acid is everywhere produced 
from the decomposition of animal and vegetable 
matter. It is constantly evolved from the earth, 
and has the property of decomposing many of the 
hardest rocks. It is the cause of that mysteri- 
ous decay which Dolomieu called "La maladie du 
granite." 

In carburetted hydrogen we have the united force 
of two of the most active substances known as organ- 
ogens, or generators of organic bodies. But of the 
vast range of their properties, their affinities, and 
their interior changes we are still profoundly igno- 
rant. We may, however, easily recognize the fact 
that their combinations and also almost every other 
chemical compound maybe decomposed by electricity 
or galvanism. 

Here then we have a clew, though perhaps distant, 
to the formation of the gem. Is not the produc- 
tion of drops of water by passing the electric spark 
through a mixture of hydrogen and atmospheric oxy- 
gen suggestive of the manner in which the diamond 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 71 

might be formed from carburetted hydrogen ? It is 
true this experiment in the laboratory has failed to 
produce the transparent and crystalline form of car- 
bon, although it has thrown down the elemeut in an 
amorphous state. This failure is by no means deci- 
sive, for many of the simple acts of nature are beyond 
the imitative power of man. 

And then again the chemist may exclaim, " How 
is it possible for the gem to be produced in this 
manner, when the combination of these elementary 
bodies is always or nearly always attended with the 
development of a considerable degree of heat, while 
the diamond contains at times germs of organic mat- 
ter ? Would not these organic remains be destroyed 
during this process? On the contrary, they do not 
exhibit the least trace of the effect of combustion 
or even heat, and are as well defined as the insects 
in the fossil resins." In reply we will point to the 
formation of fulgurites through the agency of the 
lightning without the evolution of heat. 

History presents some almost incredible exam- 
ples of the stupidity and obstinacy of mankind in 
the explanation of natural phenomena. It seems 
quite impossible that when the German philosopher 
Chladni, less than a century ago, asserted that meteo- 
rites were extra-terranean bodies, the Academies of 
Europe laughed at him in scorn. Several meteoric 
showers falling in Europe shortly after did not con- 
vince the bigoted philosophers. And when Pictet in 
1802 read a paper before the French Institute in 



72 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

favor of the theory, he was insulted by his learned 
audience. It was not until a year afterwards, when 
the great meteoric shower occurred in Normandy, 
that Biot, deputized by the French Government, suc- 
ceeded in convincing the most sceptical. Yet only 
a few years previous De Luc, the first meteorologist 
of Europe, the founder of geology, declared that he 
would not believe it even if a stone should fall at his 
feet from the skies. In 1751, Peysonnel presented 
to the Academy of Sciences at Naples an elaborate 
memoir in which he very plainly proved that the 
coral belonged to the animal and not the vegetable 
kingdom. But his admirable paper was hooted at 
by the European naturalists ; and even the distin- 
guished philosopher Reaumur declared that the idea 
which was advanced was really too absurd to be 
discussed. 

When we come to review the hypotheses of science 
during the last century, we shall feel more inclined 
to be generous and flexible in our views of natural 
phenomena. 

" There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." 

The nodular or globular forms of the gem present 
no serious objection to the idea of vegetable or ani- 
mal origin ; and we may refer for argument to the 
calcareous nodules of the old red sandstone. These 
concretionary and radiated masses are merely sar- 
cophagi of animal remains ; and their arrangement 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 73 

plainly shows the chemical influences of decaying 
animal matter and also the multiple and varied effect 
of crystalline attraction and electric force. Can we 
say that the crystallized diamonds occurring in well- 
defined placers are any more remarkable than the 
little globular petrifactions found in the cretaceous 
formation and known as the Coscinopora globularis, 
and which nature provided with a perforation so that 
ancient man adopted them as ornaments in place of 
beads ? 

We are often reminded by the antiquary of the 
remarkable foresight or acuteness of the ancient poet 
Lucretius in his explanation of certain natural phe- 
nomena which have since been verified by modern 
science. But of all the heaven-inspired dreamers 
none have come nearer the truth in terrestrial mat- 
ters than the Arabian poet Fizee, who wrote : — 

" The sun from whom the seven seas obtain pearls, 
The black stone from his rays obtains the jewel, 
The mine from the correcting influence of his beams obtains 
gold." 

Plato believed that the gems were produced by a 
sort of vivifying spirit descending from the stars. It 
is undoubtedly from the influence of the solar forces 
and the magnetic and electric currents which are 
constantly playing through the crust of the earth that 
the gems derive their origin. 

These phenomena of the earth's vitality are mani- 
fested in their greatest force along certain elliptics* 



74 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

which may be traced over the true gem districts of 
Asia, Africa, and Brazil, and in marked contrast to 
adjacent territories. The miners in South Africa, dis- 
turbed by the severe whirlwinds and frequent thun- 
der-storms, soon began to imagine that the excessive 
electric action had something to do with the creation 
of the gems they sought. Mr. Voysey, Geologist to 
the India Survey, also observed the very marked 
telluric action in the diamond formations of India, 
and moreover that the process of crystallization took 
place there with wonderful rapidity. So convinced 
was this keen observer of the present reproduction 
of gems in the alluvial soil or conglomerate that he 
commenced to collect the proofs of recrystallization. 
Unfortunately for science, Mr. Yoysey died shortly 
after he adopted these views. Dr. Buchanan, an- 
other traveller w 7 ho visited many of the mines of 
India, was impressed with this idea ; and he was as- 
sured by the miners all over India that the regenera- 
tion of diamonds is always going on in the peculiar 
gravel. In proof of tbeir statements, many men were 
then engaged in working over the debris that had 
been examined many years before. An interval of 
fifteen years was sufficient in their estimation to 
reproduce new gems, at least to a certain extent. 
This reproduction, or rather, we will say, assertion of 
a reproduction, reminds one of the mysterious action 
of the nitre beds, which yield rich returns after a 
rest of a few years, and especially those which occur 
among rocks which are destitute of potash. 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 75 

It is to the learned Abbe Haiiy we owe the theory 
that crystals are made up of an assemblage of mi- 
nute parts or molecules, each having the same definite 
form. To the diamond especially this hypothesis 
may be applied, since it is composed of thin laminae 
covering or concealing its primary form. With the 
aid of the skill of the artisan we can remove these 
coverings one after the other, until the definite and 
elementary form of the crystal be revealed. In the 
time of Louis XIV. it was thought that the size of 
diamonds might be increased by placing them in 
certain solutions, as crystals of salt are enlarged by 
immersing them in solutions of the same substance. 
But the difficulty then was to find the required 
liquid; and even at the present day we have not 
yet succeeded in discovering the composition of the 
water of crystallization of crystals of quartz or topaz, 
although Nature has shown the fluid to us in the 
cavities of certain crystals. 

These curious speculations which were discussed 
in the days of the " Grand Monarque " are again 
revived by the theory that gold nuggets are not 
only deposited from aqueous solutions, but are ac- 
tually increasing in size under certain influences and 
conditions. 

But where does this metal come from ? the in- 
quirer may ask. From a variety of sources, we may 
reply. Does not the water of the ocean contain it 
in appreciable quantities, and did not M. Sage extract 
it from the ashes of certain burned vegetable sub- 



76 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

stances ? We also know for a certainty that iron 
is produced by vegetable vitality, but we will not 
attempt to explain the manner or whence the ma- 
terial is primarily derived. Cosmic dust or the in- 
visible atoms of the atmosphere may be the source. 
The origin of the gold nuggets and the particles of 
gold-dust in the well-defined placers, as advanced in 
the hypotheses of Eaymond and Murray within the 
past few years, is connected very closely with the 
theory of the recent formation of diamonds in similar 
placers. 

In connection with this theme, it is proper to 
make a digression in explanation of the condition 
and formation of the gold placers, as they seem to be 
highly suggestive of the depositions of the diamond 
placers. Gold is often found in the same strata with 
the diamonds, and the presence of the one some- 
times indicates the deposition of the other. But 
this is not invariably the fact. Yet the peculiar 
formation in which the metal and the gem occur 
leads the geologist to similar trains of reasoning 
when seeking to explain their presence in the ter- 
tiary strata of very recent times. It has been gen- 
erally supposed that all alluvial gold is the result of 
disintegration of the old crystalline rocks. But we 
now distinguish placer gold into two kinds, as the 
alluvial and that which results from decomposition 
of quartz reefs. The distinction between these two 
qualities of the same metal arises from differences 
which are quite strongly marked. The alluvial gold 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 77 

is generally much purer than the reef gold ; and the 
reefs rarely, if ever, contain nuggets. The appear- 
ance of the nuggets and particles from the true 
placers, in comparison with the gold-dust evidently 
set free by aqueous action, is suggestive of a theory 
that they have been deposited by different agencies. 

It has been suggested by Mr. Selvvyn, the Govern- 
ment Geologist of Victoria, while studying these dif- 
ferences, that the gold nuggets found in the drift 
may have been deposited from solutions containing 
gold by means of electric and chemical agencies. 
Mr. Skey, analyst to the New Zealand Geological 
Survey, has recently come to similar conclusions 
from his researches on the subject. The theory is 
well illustrated by the formation of crystals and 
masses of iron pyrites from solutions of that metal ; 
and as gold is often found associated, free and un- 
combined, in these pyritiferous depositions, there is 
sufficient evidence to believe there may be some 
connection in the manner of formation. 

From the results of certain chemical experiments 
in the laboratory, it would appear that organic 
matter is one of the necessary chemical agents for 
the decomposition of some of the solutions of gold. 
Therefore, if we assume this hypothesis to have a 
positive bearing upon this question, the abundance 
of organic matter occurring in the gravel beds adds 
to its weight as an argument. Selwyn found in the 
gold-bearing drifts of Australia quantities of frag- 
ments of wood, roots of trees, and other organic 



78 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

debris to serve as nuclei, or as reagents for the re- 
duction of mineral solutions. We may introduce 
as evidence the formation of iron pyrites in crys- 
talline forms, which is taking place at the present 
day under the action of sea-water. The metal in 
these instances replaces the organic structure of 
wood, or assumes definite forms with a particle of 
organic matter as a nucleus. 

The formation of gold nuggets from solutions of 
the metal is by no means as wonderful or difficult of 
explanation as some other phenomena witnessed in 
metallurgy. The strange play of pseudomorphism 
is well defined in some instances, if not well under- 
stood. Here we observe that the peculiarity of form 
may be rigidly adhered to, while the composition is 
completely changed. In the waters of certain cop- 
per mines, drills, rings, and bars of iron that have 
accidentally been left have in course of time become 
transformed into pure copper. The iron of the 
implements has changed places with the atoms of 
copper held in solution. 

In connection with this interesting theory, there 
are some puzzling facts to be deduced from the 
phenomena of the auriferous sand beds of some of 
the rivers of Europe. The gold placers along the 
coast of the Danube and the Rhine are situated far 
from the mountains, the supposed sources of the 
metal, and there are also wide barren districts inter- 
vening. The river Tesino affords no gold in its 
sands until its waters have passed through and 



ORIGIN OF' THE DIAMOND. 79 

beyond Lake Maggiore. From these and other ex- 
amples, it is quite evident that the gold which ap- 
pears in these river beds has been derived from the 
placers through which the rivers have passed, and 
not from quartz reefs in the distant mountainous 
regions. The situation of these placers, with the 
evenness and regularity of their deposits, also the 
absence of auriferous ledges among the contiguous 
rocks, permit the observer to indulge in the idea that 
the gold may have been deposited from solutions 
and not from the decomposition of crystalline rocks. 
We certainly have sufficient evidence to object to 
that final explanation which ascribes all these de- 
positions to aqueous action in distant times, and to 
the abrasion of primitive mountains, the evidence of 
whose existence is alone and doubtfully afforded by- 
the debris which form the strata of the gold and 
diamond placers. The ancients long ago noticed the 
deposition of gold in the beds of rivers; hence the 
phrase " The gold-breeding sands of Pactolus." 

It has been a favorite theory with many persons 
of a philosophic turn of mind that all organic forms 
were created upon the earth not by mere chance or 
hap-hazard, nor by what have been called by the 
early geologists "freaks of nature," but, on the con- 
trary, with some definite intent on the part of the 
Creator, and perhaps for the welfare of mankind. 
Some of these far-sighted thinkers have advanced 
their views so far as to maintain that even obscure 
animal and vegetable forms may have some indirect 



80 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

or distant effect upon the well-being of man. We 
all must admit that it is indeed a beautiful hypothe- 
sis, even if it be contested by stern and savage 
arguments. But if we indulge in this manner of 
reasoning, there seems to be hardly a limit in natural 
philosophy in which we may not seek for evidence. 

Can we not include the subject of our treatise 
among those things which are supposed to have some 
influence upon the moulding of human character ? 
Certainly its geological age, its origin, the beauties 
and wonders of its physical properties, and their ap- 
plication to art and science as well as to the wants of 
society, furnish evidence to sustain an inference. 

But how can a cold, inanimate object like a gem 
influence the condition or expansion of the human 
intellect ? the rigid materialist may say. The gems, 
he will maintain, apply only to the superficial wants 
of man, and directly tend to degrade rather than ele- 
vate our natural morals ; that they are articles of 
commerce, and that commerce debases our natural 
instincts. 

On the contrary, we may say that the beautiful 
in nature of whatever degree is calculated to assist 
in the development of mental culture; and without 
these beautiful lessons and examples constantly 
spread out- before us, man would always have re- 
mained in a state of utter barbarism. As we look 
back upon the history of life, how many of the 
triumphs of human architecture may be traced to 
the suggestions arising from the observance of the 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 81 

varied forms of nature! Nearly all of the beauties 
of the Gothic or Grecian styles may be found exist- 
ing in the fossil relics of by-gone ages or even 
in the multiple forms of existing vegetation. What 
grand deductions Newton derived from his studies 
of the glories of the opal and the iridescent gleams 
of the soap-bubble ! 

Let us follow our theme a little longer. In re- 
viewing the fragmentary remains of the early periods 
of the earth's history, the observer will admit that 
there has been a marked progress in even vegetable 
life as well as in the animal. For in the primitive 
ages we find the non-flowering plants were more 
numerous than the flowering species. Therefore, in 
contemplating the precedence of succession of animal 
and vegetable life, the thought naturally occurs to us 
that perhaps the most delicate and beautiful of all 
our flowers elate from recent geological periods. 

We may also apply this hypothesis to the gems, 
and perhaps maintain that they too have arrived at 
perfection by progressive stages. The corundum, for 
instance, in the primitive rocks is never so pure and 
perfect as the nodules and crystals found in the true 
gem strata of recent formations. The emerald of the 
limestone is also incomparably above the beryls of 
the granites. The spinels, the chrysoberjls, the zir- 
cons, and the topazes of the gem beds are generally 
far superior to those found in the old crystalline 
rocks. There are, however, some plain exceptions to 
this plausible theory ; and the finest of the tourma- 



82" -LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

lines are found in cavities in granite ledges that 
appear to be of an early age. 

We are also sometimes inclined to think that color 
in the early ages of terrestrial life was wanting in the 
rich hues which now deck animate nature. For of 
all the relics of the old geologic forms that are pre- 
served to us their colors are either greatly faded or 
were at first faintly painted. Even in the tertiary 
division the hues are not beautiful. The shells, how- 
ever, exhibit a trace of the pearly hue of the nacre, 
which may once have shone as brightly as in the 
modern mollusca. Some of the fossil fishes display 
a gleam of the. silver tints that now glisten on the 
sides of the living species. Fossil corals preserved in 
the marble, however, have retained the beauty of 
form but lost all delicacy of hue, if they ever pos- 
sessed any. Still, absence of bright and glowing 
colors of the animals in a fossil state is by no means 
conclusive evidence that nature was then devoid of 
external decoration. For we may see on every side 
how the beautiful hues of animal and vegetable life 
may fade and disappear altogether on the suspension 
of vital activity ; and also how the process of solidifi- 
cation and petrifaction may modify or even obliterate 
all traces of organic color. ' It is, however, a fact that 
the richest-colored gems and minerals are found near 
the surface of the earth, as though they required the 
direct influence of the solar rays, like the finest va- 
rieties of colored coral and the gorgeous flowers of 
vegetation. 



ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND. 83 

In reflecting upon these phenomena, and in seek- 
ing for the causes that led to the creation of the dia- 
mond, and sifting down the evidence that science 
has patiently brought to light, we are naturally led to 
philosophic musings. It is a singular reflection that 
inueh of our commercial greatness is derived from 
luxuriant vegetations of early ages of the earth's 
history. How much pleasure, how many of the com- 
forts of civilization and even the necessities of life, 
do we owe to the extinct fauna of by-gone ages ! 
Even invalid man, seeking to restore the exhausted 
fountains of his shattered nature in the waters of 
some of the sulphur springs, quaffs the life-restoring 
principles from the mineral and animal debris of the 
lower ocean of the old red sandstone. Here, then, 
is a happy adaptation of the vague and empty theory 
of transmigration of the ancients, — the metempsy- 
chosis of Empedocles. Certain elements imprisoned 
in the earth for ages return again at last to reanimate 
exhausted man and improve his social life. The 
same agency in recent times, and by natural though 
mysterious laws, has produced from similar materials 
the gem, which seems to be quite as necessary for the 
superficial wants of mankind as gold or silver. 

In studying the earth's history and examining the 
successive phases of its development, we are insensi- 
bly led to the idea that all these stages, seemingly 
progressive, never retrograde, were for a definite 
purpose, if not for the exclusive benefit of man- 
kind. For it is only just before the introduction of 



84 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

man that some of the highest orders of vegetation, 
such as the Bosacece, appear on the earth. There is 
certainly a marked intent in the appearance of the 
pear, the apple, plum, cherry, peach, and other fruits, 
with the true grasses, late in the tertiary period. 

We may also trace this suggestive progression in 
the development of even insect life. In the Silu- 
rian age the hum of the insect was unheard ; and it 
was not until the oolitic period that this form of 
animal life appeared. A fossil gem — the amber — 
reveals the time of the birth of the insect dearest to 
man ; and it was not until the eocene change that the 
earth heard for the first time 

" The soft murmur of the vagrant bee." 

May we not also place in the same category of pos- 
sible intents the late deposition of the diamond ? It 
is not so very strange, after all, when we come to 
consider the vast field that lies within the range of 
the argument. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 85 



CHAPTEE V. 

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 

Before explaining, or rather attempting to explain,, 
the phenomena of some of the prominent physical 
properties of the mineral, it is proper that we should 
give a description of its forms and its natural appear- 
ance as it is taken from the mines, so that our reader 
may become more familiar with the subject. We 
will not, however, venture very far among the dry 
details of crystallography, even if it be a subject of 
great interest to the student in science. The stone 
which so readily attracts the eye by its dazzling 
splendors after it has received a definite form and 
polish from art, is seldom attractive to the view un- 
less it occurs in a rare and perfect form of crystalliza- 
tion. Even then, in this primitive state it exhibits 
none of the rainbow play of color which makes the 
stone so celebrated and so beautiful. In reality, in 
these rare conditions it is seldom if ever so lustrous 
and pleasing to the sight as crystals of many other 
minerals. In general, the diamond is so obscure in 
its attractions that practised eyes are required for its 
search. 



86 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Recently the distinguished savant Von Tschudi, in 
visiting some of the diamond mines of Brazil, was 
nnable to distinguish readily the gems as they lay 
in the washed cascalho, while the trained eyes of the 
negro miners picked them out with ease. It has 
been stated that the diamonds are always or nearly 
always covered with an earthy crust of various hues, 
especially greenish or yellowish, which is hardly the 
fact ; for what appears to be a crust is often caused by 
the salient edges of the laminee, among which a 
little earthy or coloring matter has been introduced. 
These extraneous colors generally disappear when 
the surface of the stone is removed ; and, in fact, the 
degree of their intensity is very much modified when 
the rough gem is placed in alcohol or in any fluid of 
high refraction. 

The dull, whitish appearance seen in the natural 
diamonds is also produced by the action of fire, which 
raises the edges of the laminae, producing a faint 
milky aspect. 

The primitive form of the mineral is the octahe- 
dron, and many irregular masses may be reduced by 
cleavage to that of a double pyramid. These octahe- 
dral crystals are sometimes as perfect in outline as 
a mathematical model, with clean-cut angles and 
smooth faces. In some specimens the edges may be 
truncated, that is, as if they had been flattened or 
ground off by mechanical means. Generally, how- 
ever, the crystals are of the form of the octahedrons 
with rounded faces. The dodecahedrons, with their 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 87 

twelve faces, and the cubes, with their four sides, may 
also be reduced by cleavage to the primitive form of 
the double' pyramid. Sometimes two crystals are 
united, forming what are called hemitrope or twin 
crystals. Then, again, a number may be grouped 
together, assuming on the whole a globular-like mass. 
But they are decidedly different from the globular, 
which in their form of crystallization radiate from 
the centre of the crystal. 

The variety of diamond called boart, or bort, deriv- 
ing its name from the supposed abortive attempt of 
nature to form a perfect crystal, is also quite defi- 
cient in cleavage, or its laminse are so irregular as 
to render splitting quite impossible and the cutting 
of the stone equally so. The transparency of these 
forms is also affected by the arrangement of crys- 
tallization; hence they are generally crushed into 
powder for polishing material or used for various 
purposes in the arts. The specific gravity of these 
varieties seems to be influenced by the manner of 
crystallization. For instances, we find that the fine 
transparent crystals have a specific gravity of 3.55 
(water being considered the standard as 1), while 
the bort is somewhat less; and the massive variety 
called the carbonado varies from 3 to 3.4, accord- 
ing to the amount of earthy matter it may contain. 
It has also been asserted that the blue, the green, 
the orange, and the red varieties are heavier than the 
white. The phenomena of electricity observed in the 
diamond are not remarkable, and are inferior to most 



88 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the gems. Some of the precious stones when ex- 
cited retain their electrical properties for hours or 
even days, but the diamond loses it almost immedi- 
ately. It exhibits vitreous electricity when rubbed. 

Much has been said and written concerning the 
artificial phosphorescence exhibited by the diamond 
when removed to a dark room after having been 
exposed for a short time to the sun's rays. We are 
not able to verify this statement, and feel inclined to 
doubt its correctness, although we have been assured 
by experimenters of the fact. 

One of the most remarkable properties of the dia- 
mond is its extreme hardness, in which it far exceeds 
all known substances in the mineral kingdom. This 
peculiarity is due to the substance itself, but appears 
to be modified by its color and its form of crystalli- 
zation like some other minerals. 

The more perfectly the crystal is formed, the easier 
its laminae become detached, and the softer the sub- 
stance appears to be. In the globular forms, which 
are quite deficient in cleavage planes, the hardness 
is excessive, and often resists the most determined 
efforts of the lapidary. Even in fine crystals we 
shall find that certain angles are harder than others ; 
and we may observe the same relative degree among 
crystals of other minerals, like those of the topaz. 
In the large transparent diamonds of irregular form, 
spots of excessive hardness are often found. These 
are called by the lapidaries "knots," and appear to 
be due to a change in the process of crystallization. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 89 

The coloring matter, or the mode of its formation, 
seems to affect the degree of hardness in many min- 
erals ; and in respect to the diamond, the rare crystal- 
lized black form is harder than the limpid or lighter 
colored. 

Some years ago a black diamond from Borneo was 
placed in the hand of Gallais the lapidary, to be ex- 
perimented upon at the expense of the French Insti- 
tute. The chief object of the test was to ascertain 
the relative degree of hardness in comparison with 
some of the other varieties of diamond. In this trial 
the lapidary wore out his steel wheel and a large 
quantity of ordinary diamond dust without making 
the least impression on the surface of the black dia- 
mond. Although heavily loaded with weights, it 
lost none of its roughness, and was*heated almost to 
whiteness by the friction of the wheel, which re- 
volved with great velocity. During the period of 
this extreme velocity it is reported that a shower of 
sparks was emitted; but how shall we account for 
this scintillation, when the ordinary transparent dia- 
mond does not give forth sparks when struck by 
steel ? 

The carbonado, which is amorphous and with- 
out cleavage, is also extremely hard. The term 
"adamas," which the ancients bestowed upon it as 
denoting an invincible infrangibility, is not quite 
appropriate ; for although it is far superior in hard- 
ness to all other known substances, it is in reality 
very fragile. And in the power to resist the effect 



90 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of shock it is also inferior to some of the other gems, 
and especially the sapphire. Therefore several min- 
eralogists have thought that the ancients really ap- 
plied the term to steel or to some of the varieties 
of corundum, like the ruby and the sapphire, and not 
the diamond. It is curious that this property should 
be ascribed erroneously to the diamond for so many 
ages, when a trifling experiment would have dis- 
closed the real condition of things. In the days of 
the poet Lucretius the gem w 7 as believed to be able 
to resist violent blows. 

" adamantina saxa 

Prima acie constant, ictus contemn ere sueta." 

Pliny entertained the same idea, and also that its 
infrangibility could be overcome only by first steep- 
ing it in goats' blood. Even in mediaeval times 
Ben Mansur, the Persian mineralogist, gravely states 
that a diamond laid upon the anvil and struck by 
a hammer would not be broken, but would be driven 
by the violence of the blow into the substance of the 
anvil. This stupid but wide-spread idea has pre- 
vailed even in modern times ; and many a gem has 
been sacrificed by the ignorant in testing the charac- 
ter of the stone. The brittleness of the gem is partly 
due to its singular cleavage, which in regular crystals 
is so perfect and uniform as to permit the lapidary 
to remove the laminae so as to entirely demolish 
the structure of the crystal. But when once ac- 
complished, no artisan, however skilful, can replace 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 91 

them again. The facility with which the stone may 
be separated was known in ancient times among the 
Hindoos, and probably in Europe as early as the 
sixteenth century, as De Boot knew of a physician 
who could divide the diamond into thin scales like 
a piece of talc ; but it was forgotten until Wollaston 
not many years ago stumbled upon the secret of 
cleavage and made it known to modern science. 

The real charm and value of the diamond lie in its 
remarkable brilliancy, and in the wonderful prismatic 
display of the bright and beautiful colors, which are 
constantly fugitive, but perpetually returning, as the 
learned Abbe Hatiy elegantly expresses it. When a 
ray of light is reflected from the surface of a body, a 
particular impression is conveyed to the eye, which 
we may properly term the eclat. This impression is 
often so decided and so varied in its effects, that we 
are able to distinguish certain substances at a glance ; 
and the reflection from the diamond exhibits a pe- 
culiarity which is seen only in a very few substances. 
This is known as the adamantine flash, and none 
of the gems display it to any marked degree ex- 
cept the rare zircon. We witness the perfection of 
this property in the black and opaque but crystal- 
lized diamond, when faceted by art ; and also in some 
few minerals of which we shall soon make mention. 
When the rays of light are refracted, after passing 
through the transparent diamond after it has been 
cut in a certain manner, and its facets are arranged 
in an exact relation to each other, then we obtain 



92 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the remarkable exhibition of color which is known 
as the prismatic display. This singular property is 
seen in perfection, or even to any considerable degree, 
only in the diamond, among all the gems thus far 
known. But art, however, has succeeded in imi- 
tating it in one of her productions of glass, and so 
admirably, that under favorable circumstances it is 
quite impossible for the eye alone to distinguish the 
artificial from the real gem. Some of the theories 
relating to the causes of these phenomena we will 
discuss hereafter, and at the present will only say 
that it is to modern science the diamond owes the 
full development of its latent beauty; and that the 
result was not attained until Newton demonstrated 
the laws that govern the refraction of light. It is 
only in the brilliant and rose-cut forms, or their 
modifications, when made with mathematical preci- 
sion, that the brilliancy and beauty of the stone is 
displayed in perfection. The ancients, therefore, were 
not acquainted with the full splendors of the gem. 
For, being ignorant of the laws of refraction of light, 
they polished the stone chiefly with the view of pre- 
serving its greatest weight; and, at the same time, 
producing perfect transparency. Hence most of the 
specimens of ancient and barbaric art are rudely cut, 
and therefore do not exhibit the degree of beauty 
which is latent in the mineral. This is also one of 
the reasons why the luxurious Romans preferred the 
opal to the diamond, since the polished, or even the 
rude specimens of opal exhibited their glorious refiec- 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 93 

tions of wondrous hues, both by day and in artificial 
light by night ; while the diamond, with its natural or 
polished faces, gave forth no prismatic display in the 
daylight, and but a slight degree comparatively in 
artificial light at night. 

Whence arises this remarkable brilliancy, and to 
what particular cause is the property due ? This 
inquiry has afforded a fruitful theme of speculation 
among philosophers, but at the present time we are 
content to say that the refractive power of the gem is 
due to the nature of its substance. This is somewhat 
indefinite, it is true, but what else can we say ? 

Under the general belief that the harder the gem 
the higher its refractive powers would be, it has been 
maintained that the brilliancy of the diamond arose 
from the simple property of its excessive hardness. 
Investigation, however, does not sustain this wide- 
spread view. Hardness, indeed, may have consider- 
able relation with the arrangement and form of the 
molecules composing the gem, for in the same crys- 
tal it is not uniform, — some faces and angles being 
harder than others, — but it does not determine the 
degree of brilliancy. To strengthen this statement we 
will take for instances the soft minerals, crocroisite, 
the chromate of lead; the Greenockite, the sulphuret 
of cadmium ; and the octahedrite, the oxide of titanium, 
which exceed even the diamond in brilliancy. There 
are also other decided examples among the transpar- 
ent minerals to sustain this view; the most remark- 
able of which perhaps may be found in the zircon, a 



94 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

gem which is soft as quartz ; yet it ranks next to 
the diamond in brightness, and far surpasses in eclat 
every other gem, even the sapphire, which is next to 
the diamond in hardness. Density does not seem 
to have anything to do with the determination of 
the refractive power of gems, for the garnet, spinel, 
sapphire, and zircon are much heavier than the dia- 
mond, and are yet far inferior in brilliancy. The 
topaz is exactly of the same specific gravity as the 
diamond (3.55), but nevertheless its refractive powers 
have but little more than one half the energy of the 
diamond. The relative brilliancy of the diamond to 
that of the purest limpid quartz is 8 to 3 ; but the 
relative density is only as 4 to 3. All diamonds do 
not exhibit the same degree of brilliancy, because 
they do not possess alike the same quality of purity 
or perfection of crystallization. 

We often observe among the minerals that the 
most perfect specimens are found of a diminutive 
size ; and we shall also find that the finest and purest 
types of the diamond occur in stones of little weight. 
The larger crystals, or amorphous masses, seem to 
be wanting in purity and brightness as compared 
with the lesser ; and this peculiarity may be observed 
well marked in some of the other gems. Here, 
then, we may find material for the argument that 
the degree of brilliancy is in a measure due to the 
perfection of the crystallization of the stone; and, 
therefore, the larger and coarser the laminae of the 
crystal the less will be its brightness. One thing, 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 95 

however, is certain; that the most brilliant gems are 
obtained from stones of no great weight, and which 
also seem, from their form, to indicate a nodular 
arrangement of particles in their formation; or, in 
other words, a certain concentric manner of crystalli- 
zation. This form of deposition is not peculiar to 
the diamond, but is clearly shown in the sapphires, 
topazes, chrysoberyls, tourmalines; and the finest 
specimens of these gems are cut from these nodular 
forms. We think we are correct in stating that the 
greatest brilliancy and the most beautiful prismatic 
display may be observed in diamonds of less than ten 
karats in weight. In fact, the diminution of brilliancy 
in the gem, when above twenty karats, is easily dis- 
cerned by the eye alone, as compared with the vivid 
and adamantine flash of a pure and perfect four or 
eight karat stone. The same peculiarity may be 
observed in the little globular masses of the chryso- 
beryl, which are seldom larger than a pea in size, but 
which, when cut, exhibit flashes of fire which are only 
equalled or excelled by the diamond, or the rarer 
zircon. We can hardly realize that the little rounded 
pebbles of white topaz, known as gouttes d'eau, "drops 
of water," will yield gems of such lustre as to be often 
exhibited, and even sold for the diamond. Yet the 
larger irregular masses, or finely crystallized speci- 
mens of the same mineral, do not afford gems of 
unusual brilliancy. In these instances we may affirm 
that the form or mode of crystallization has something 
to do with the degree of brilliancy. 



96 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The prismatic play of color which this gem alone 
possesses to any considerable degree constitutes its 
chief charm, and its cause has been a matter of 
earnest study among opticians. A plausible theory 
has lately been advanced by an English philosopher 
that the colored rays are produced by the relation 
of the high refractive to its very low dispersive 
power. For instance, this refractive power in the 
diamond, or, in other words, its property of bending 
a ray of light falling obliquely upon its surface, is 
2.439, while that of water is only 1.336, and that of 
glass 1.500. But its power of dispersing a ray of 
white light, or, in other words, of separating it into 
its compound colors in reference to its refractive 
power, is only 0.038, while that of glass is 0.052. 
Hence it is surmised that this inferiority of disper- 
sive power is required for the production of the 
splendid colored reflections which constitute the 
glory of the gem. It is also maintained that this 
high refractive power separates the red and the blue 
rays more than a high dispersive power would in 
other transparent bodies, and to such degree as to 
allow each color of the spectrum its full force. As 
example, the zircon, with its inferior reflections, is 
offered, its refraction being 1.99 on the established 
scale, while its dispersive power is as high as 0.044. 
The relations of the spinel are also as 1.81 to 0.040, 
and neither does the gem display the rainbow hues. 
This theory is certainly ingenious, and if correct the 
test may be applied to other transparent minerals 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 97 

possessing similar relations. We may, therefore, ex- 
pect the white garnet to exhibit the property of 
prismatic display, as it has a refractive power of 
1.81 and a dispersive power of 0.033. But, unfor- 
tunately, perfectly pure and transparent white gar- 
nets are unknown, and we must therefore turn to 
other minerals for comparison. 

To the white tourmaline, then, we will apply the 
test, since this mineral has a refractive power of 1.66, 
with a dispersive power of only 0.028. Here, then, we 
have nearly the same relation as observed in the dia- 
mond : and, if the theory be correct, we may reason- 
ably expect the exhibition of the same phenomena. 
But, upon examination of several perfectly white and 
transparent tourmalines from Mt. Mica, cut into 
regular brilliants, we have failed to detect an in- 
crease of prismatic display, or even discover any 
evidence to lend support to the plausibility of the 
hypothesis. We, therefore, reluctantly turn to other 
arguments for a solution of this most interesting- 
problem. 

The snow-white diamond displays the rainbow 
hues in the greatest perfection ; and this is the 
reason why this quality is sought for in preference 
to the light buff or deeper yellow, which are in 
reality more brilliant. The deeper the hue of the 
gem, the less becomes the prismatic display ; and 
when the diamond becomes of deep and decided 
hue, the colored reflections cease altogether. It is 
somewhat singular that the colored gems are gen- 

7 



98 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

erally more brilliant than the pure white, that is, 
if the color is not so deep as to affect the transpar- 
ency of the stone. For examples, we shall find that 
the white sapphire has an index of refraction equal 
to 1.768, while the blue has 1.794, and the red 1.779. 
The refractive of the white topaz is 1.610, while the 
yellow is 1.632. 

The brilliancy and rainbow play of the diamond is 
not so apparent by daylight as by certain kinds of 
artificial light, when all its latent beauties are called 
forth as if by magic. The light of the camp-fire in 
the obscurity of night produces a marvellous effect 
upon the polished stone ; and it is no wonder that 
the savage heart of the Russian General, Suvaroff, 
was fascinated by the vivid gleams of his treasured 
diamonds when viewed at night in the flickering 
beams of his bivouac fire. It may seem singular 
that the brilliant white light of gas dqes not display 
the qualities of the diamond as the duller flame of 
the wax candle. The secret lies, perhaps, in the 
difference in their spectra. Nevertheless, there is 
a great difference in their effects upon the gem, and 
it is a fact that the wax candle far exceeds the gas- 
light in calling forth the latent splendors of the gem. 
Therefore, we can assert that the brilliancy of toilets 
where the diamond is much worn depends greatly 
upon the manner of illuminating the apartment. 

We now come to another interesting problem in 
the study of the nature of the diamond. We refer 
to the various colors of the cjem. As we have main- 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 99 

tained that the mineral is of vegetable origin Ave may 
be expected to explain the phenomena of its color 
upon this hypothesis, and also account for the va- 
rious changes of the gem when exposed to the effects 
of heat or the fire test. But we must admit with 
candor that our views concerning this physical prop- 
erty are decidedly unsatisfactory, and shall refer 
the reader to one of the chapters in our treatise on 
the Tourmaline, in which are grouped some of the 
theories relating to the subject. In fact, we may 
repeat the remarks of Huyghens,.who said at the end 
of the seventeenth century : " In spite of the labors of 
Newton, no one has yet fully discovered the cause 
of the color of bodies." " We must, then," says M. 
Babinet, " admire, without penetrating their secret, 
the unparalleled red of the Oriental ruby, the pure 
yellow of the topaz, the unmingled greenness of the 
emerald, the soft blue of the sapphire, and the rich 
violet of the amethyst. This is not the only thing 
the discovery of which we shall leave to posterity." 
The color-suite of the mineral is much more ex- 
tensive and varied than has been generally admitted 
by mineralogists. We are led to infer from their 
works that white is the prevailing hue of the gem ; 
but Beudant declares that perfect limpidity and 
whiteness is rare comparatively, and that the stone 
is generally affected with yellowish or brownish 
tints. But what becomes of the vast numbers of 
these clouded or tinged and inferior gems, if the 
mines yield so many of them in comparison with 



100 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the snow-white ? Are they consumed in polishing 
others, or expended in the arts, or have the lapidaries 
secret processes by which these objectionable tints 
are expunged from the stone ? 

Barbot, the French jeweller, declares that, by 
means of certain particular and energetic agents, 
aided by a proper degree of heat, he is able to 
remove the greens of alb shades, the light-red, and 
the yellow, when the coloring matter is superficial, 
or even situated between the external laminae. We 
are inclined to believe Barbot in this particular 
reference, especially as he admits that he is unable 
to change much the deep-yellow, the brown, and the 
smoky-tinted stones. Of the yellow tints, the dia- 
mond affords the most beautiful examples, and far 
surpasses in variety all the other gems, with the 
exception perhaps of quartz. To the yellow topaz 
it is decidedly superior in its range of shades, and 
in some of its chrome-like tints it is without an 
equal among the gems. This hue of chrome mixed 
with a faint tinge of green is a delicate, yet gorgeous, 
shade, and is not often seen. Stones of a canary- 
yellow are quite common, and perfect resemblances 
to^ the Brazilian topaz are not rare. From these 
hues they pass insensibly into brown and black. 
The transparent light-brown stones are often modi- 
fied in hue when exposed to the action of heat, and 
some of them exhibit remarkable changes of color. 
M. Halpen, in 1866, exhibited to the French Acad- 
emy of Sciences a singular diamond of this descrip- 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 101 

tion. It was a stone of sixty grains weight, and of a 
whitish hue tinged slightly with brown. But when it 
was exposed to the action of heat it changed its tint 
to a fine rose-color, and retained it for six or eight 
days, when it gradually returned to its natural hue. 
This remarkable effect was not an accidental result, 
but was tried five times at the Academy with suc- 
cess and without injury to the stone. In other 
colored diamonds the action of fire often produces 
permanent effects, and sometimes a brownish hue 
is converted into a decided red color. Buckman 
saw a diamond with a large brown spot in its in- 
terior change to a beautiful red, like that of the 
Balais ruby, after the stone had been placed in 
borax and exposed to a red heat. Another stone, 
however, of similar appearance, likewise exposed, 
changed to a permanent black, to the great injury 
of the gem and dismay of the experimenter. The 
red varieties of this mineral are rarely of deep tints, 
but when they exhibit a decided red color they form 
the most gorgeous of gems. The largest and finest 
of this description known is the ten-karat stone 
purchased by the Emperor Paul of Eussia for one 
hundred thousand roubles. This gem may be con- 
sidered the marvel of the mineral kingdom. The 
princely collection of the late Mr. Hope possessed 
one of a blood-red garnet shade, also a fine twelve 
and a half karat stone of an apricot hue, besides 
several others of a beautiful hyacinth red, or of a 
lilac pink. 



102 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

• 
The celebrated cabinet of gems belonging to the 

late Marquis de Dr£e contained a large and beautiful 
rose-colored diamond. Prince Eiccia, of Naples, ac- 
quired in 1830 a very fine rose-colored brilliant of 
fifteen karats weight. M. Halpen, in 1838, exhibited 
a magnificent gem of this description of twenty-two 
and a half karats. Among the crown jewels of 
France there are several splendid brilliants of a 
peach-blossom hue, and there are also quite a num- 
ber to be seen among the princely caskets of Europe. 
It is, however, somewhat remarkable that this gem, 
although possessing several shades of red, never, or 
very rarely, occurs of a decided violet or purple color. 
Diamonds of a light aqua-marine of greenish and 
bluish tints are not rare, but those of a positive 
grass-green color are uncommon. Perfect stones of 
decided green form the most magnificent gems of 
this color. The velvety green flashed forth by the 
extraordinary power of the stone surpasses beyond 
comparison the finest emeralds with their duller 
reflections. In fact, we may term the splendid green 
diamond of forty karats, now in the Green Vaults at 
Dresden, as being one of the five paragons among all 
the gems of the world. 

In the Museum of Natural History in Paris there 
are some small diamonds of very fine shades of green, 
which were collected by the celebrated "Werner. Some 
of the diamonds which have a slight milky hue, when 
cut so as to allow the play of light within the stone, 
present a very beautiful appearance. The varied 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 103 

flashes of colored rays, in contrast with the duller 
hues of the stone, appear like the charming effects 
of the finest specimens of Siberian adularia, and 
are therefore entitled to the name- of aventuriue 
diamonds. 

The asterism, or star-like form of six rays, which 
is so" beautifully displayed by the sapphire when it 
assumes a certain form of internal arrangement of 
crystallization, is sometimes, though very rarely, wit- 
nessed in the diamond. There is one of this descrip- 
tion to be seen in the Museum of the Jarclin des 
Plantes in Paris. 

The diamond is rarely found of a perfect shade of 
blue ; but there are now in Europe several magnifi- 
cent gems of this description. Foremost of all of 
them stood the famous blue diamond of 67-iq karats, 
belonging to the French crown. This marvel of 
Nature's work, with two other diamonds of paler 
hue and lesser weight, — thirty-one and ten karats 
respectively, — disappeared on that fatal night of 
September, 1792, and have never since been discov- 
ered. At the present day, the finest known is that 
which belongs to the princely collection of the late 
Mr. Hope, and weighs 44| karats. It is of a fine blue; 
but exhibits that steel-like tint which is so often seen 
in sapphires. The next in value and beauty is that 
which is preserved at Munich. It is a magnificent 
gem of thirty-six karats weight, and of superb color. 

The crystallized black diamond is a very rare stone; 
and, when polished, it forms a unique gem, since it 



104 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

exhibits a remarkable brilliancy, proceeding, as it 
were, from darkness itself. We do not now refer to 
the compact variety, known as carbon or carbonado, 
which is never found except in the amorphous form, 
but the crystalline variety, which is of greater den- 
sity and more homogeneous. The famous collector, 
Dogni, possessed a very fine specimen of this kind 
which had been cut with small facets, and exhibited 
a vivid eclat. It afterwards came into the possession 
, of Mr. Bapst, who disposed of it to Louis XVIII. 
for the sum of twenty-four thousand francs. A large 
and unique diamond, almost black, formerly belonged 
•to the late Duke of York. Several of the European 
mineralogical cabinets have interesting and valuable 
collections of colored diamonds ; but the finest is 
to be seen in the Imperial Cabinet of Minerals at 
Vienna. This beautiful and complete series, which 
illustrates the great range of the color-suite of the 
gem, was the life-long labor of a Tyrolese gentleman, 
by the name of Helrnreicher. This enthusiastic ama- 
teur went to Brazil, and passed most of his life in 
the mines, searching for the gems. 

We will not fatigue our readers with long quo- 
tations of authors and philosophers concerning the 
spiritual properties of this gem ; but we will briefly 
say, that a well-selected compilation of all these views 
and speculations, extending back to very early times, 
would form a chapter by itself, and quite as interest- 
ing as absurd. Even the good sense of the Latin 
philosopher Pliny was affected so far as to indulge 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, ETC. 105 

in the belief that the gem was not only an antidote 
to poison, but also freed the mind from vain fears. 
Late in mediaeval times, the adamas was invested 
with supernatural powers, and regarded as a spiritual 
creation. And even in the commencement of the 
seventeenth century Boetius de Boot, in his treatise 
on gems, asserts that the diamond possesses wonder- 
ful metaphysical properties; but remarks that they 
do not reside in the stone per se, but belong to the 
angelic spirits whom it has pleased the Almighty 
to connect, in a mysterious manner, with certain 
substances in nature. 



106 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 

The Sultan of Turkey is said to possess many wonder- 
ful diamonds and other gems among the regalia and 
ornaments treasured up in the strongholds of the 
Seraglio; but very little is known, definitely and 
positively, concerning them. 

In 1840 the Sultan granted a firman to the Duke 
of Devonshire and a party of friends, permitting them 
to examine the court-jewels. One of this party, my 
illustrious kinsman Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, has recently 
described to me the impression they made upon his 
memory, more than thirty years ago. The number 
of articles was too great, and their effect too dazzling, 
for the memory to be able to particularize them after 
so long an interval of time. He remembers that in 
two strongly built rooms, and displayed on mats, or 
cushions of velvet, were a vast number of decora- 
tions and insignia, crescents, tiaras, clasps, and neck- 
laces, etc. Among the latter was one of wondrous 
beauty and perfection, which the Sultan wished to pre- 
sent to the Princess of Wales on her visit to Stam- 
boul. The beautiful Princess wore it at the reception 
she gave the Sultan and his cabinet, but for various 
reasons was obliged to return the magnificent gift. 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 107 

Among the arms of former Sultans were the swords 
of Al-u-deen, and Solyman the Magnificent. Besides 
their historical renown, they were interesting on 
account of their superb workmanship, and their 
decorations with gems of wonderful beauty. 

In 1880 an American traveller was admitted to a 
vieV of some of the rooms in the Treasury of the 
Seraglio, and from memory of what he saw there 
wrote the following description : — 

" In the centre of the first room is a throne. It is a 
platform about two and one half feet square, with, a cush- 
ion of cloth-of-golcl embroidered with pearls, rubies, and 
diamonds. Around three sides of the cushion is a low 
rail supported by miniature columns, and standing about 
eight inches high. The whole body of the throne is Over- 
laid with plates of gold, and the rail is studded with clus- 
ters of rubies symmetrically arranged. The first thought 
that strikes one on seeing this throne is the surpassing 
value of its jewels, and the second is the superlative dis- 
comfort of the concern viewed as a resting-place. The rail, 
which answers for arms and back, is perpendicular and 
rectangular, and could rest neither the arms nor the back 
of the enthroned Sultan. Uneasy the man that sits the 
throne, must be the Turkish equivalent of the proverb con- 
cerning the wearer of the crown. In one corner of the 
room is another throne, said to be the throne of Nadir 
Shah, of Persia. It is of some dark wood, delicately in- 
laid with ivory and pearl, and has a canopy of the same 
materials, from the centre of which hangs a great gold ball 
decorated Math precious stones. 

" In one of the cabinets is the cradle of the imperial 



108 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

babies. It stands low on its rockers, like the cradles now 
in use in Turkey. The two ends rise a foot above the 
mattress, and are connected at the top by a bar which runs 
lengthwise of the cradle. The whole is of solid gold, and 
the outside of the cradle is crusted with pearls, diamonds, 
rubies, and turquoises. 

" In one of the galleries are the effigies of all the Sultans 
of Turkey clown to Mahmoud the Reformer. The figures 
are dressed in what professes to be the state robes actually 
worn by the Sultans whom they represent. The costumes 
are all different, and differ very much in cut, indicating 
the changes of fashion during the last five hundred years. 
But all these dresses agree in the feature of richness. 
Cloth-of-gold and silk brocade are the materials, and many 
of the figures are weighed down with jewels. The swords 
or daggers which all of the figures wear are especially mag- 
nificent in their display of precious stones. The dagger of 
Sultan Mahomet II., the conqueror of Constantinople, has 
in its handle an emerald full two inches long and an inch 
thick. I use the adjective l thick' advisedly, for solidity 
of splendor is the impression left on the mind by that 
emerald. All of these gentlemen wore large turbans, and 
bedecked their turbans with diamonds. The only excep- 
tions are seen in the case of the boy Sultan, Osman II., 
who was killed by his janissaries before he had attained 
man's estate, and in the case of Sultan Mahmoud, the Re- 
former, who alone of all his kinsmen appears in European 
broadcloth. His head-dress is the fez cap, with a plume 
of bird-of-paradise feathers fastened in place by a great 
spray of diamonds. 

" But there is no such thing as describing in detail the 
splendors of these rooms. There are antique arms and 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 109 

armor heavy with gold and jewels ; there are innumerahle 
horse-trappings and saddles, covered with plates of gold 
and studded with emeralds, rubies, topazes, diamonds, and 
pearls ; there are saddle-cloths embroidered with precious 
stones. Several sofa-covers hang in the cabinets as back- 
ground to the smaller articles. They are worth $150,000 
apiece^ and are heavy cloth-of-gold embroidered with seed 
pearls. In one of the cabinets are three uncut emeralds, 
the largest being the size of a man's fist, and the smallest 
larger than a hen's egg. The birds of the palace realized 
the experience of dwelling in cages of gold, for here they 
hang, — these ancient cages of gold wire. Some of the 
cages have a clock in the bottom, face downward, so that 
the royal household might see the time of day as they 
lolled on the divans beneath. The Imperial Princes ap- 
pear to have gone to school in childhood, for here are 
the satchels in which they carried their books, — bags of 
velvet embroidered with gold and pearls and diamonds. 
In another place you see many mottoes from the Koran, 
embroidered in diamonds on red velvet. There are amber 
mouthpieces for pipes, studded with diamonds and rubies. 
There are coffee-sets and tea-sets of all degrees of magnifi- 
cence; and vases of crystal and agate and onyx, — some 
of these profusely bejewelled. There are inkstands and 
snuff-boxes innumerable, all glittering with priceless gems. 
There are royal knives and forks and spoons of solid gold, 
with jewels on their handles. There is an immense array 
of clocks. One would suppose that every Sultan had his 
private clock, which ceased to tick when his heart stopped 
beating. 

" Among the articles in this imperial treasure-house are 
many which must be regarded simply as toys. Of such is 



110 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

a tea-set of tortoise-shell as thin as paper. Another toy is 
a lady's parasol of white silk exquisitely embroidered with 
gold, the staff of which is a single branch of coral so long 
and true and well adapted to its purpose that one might 
search years and fail to find its like. There are also very 
many fans of varying degrees of splendor. Another one 
of the toys is a figure of a sultan seated on his throne 
under a golden canopy ribbed with alternate rubies and 
emeralds. The whole structure is, perhaps, six inches 
high. The body of the figure is a single huge pearl, the 
lower extremities are carved from a blue turquoise, and 
the turban is a solid mass of diamonds. There is literally 
no end to the marvels of this place. After every conceiv- 
able use has been made of jewels, the surplus unmounted 
stones are gathered by handfuls into crystal bowls at one 
end of the cabinets in the second room. The spoils of all 
the empires which preceded the Ottoman Empire are 
heaped up in these two dingy stone rooms in the old 
Seraglio at Constantinople. 

" It requires some time fully to realize the enormous 
wealth of this treasure-house. But slowly one becomes 
convinced that these treasures can only be the accumula- 
tion of centuries, and represent the heritage of the Otto- 
mans from all their predecessors. Once assured of this, 
the traveller will find a peculiar fitness in the aspect and 
attitude of the guards of the place. They stand, dressed 
in spotless black broadcloth, four or five feet apart, in line 
along the cabinets, perfectly motionless. And they are 
solemn of countenance, as if standing by the catafalque of 
some deceased monarch lying in state for the homage of 
his subjects. 

" I first visited this place shortly after the late war with 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. Ill 

Russia. The Turkish Government was in sore straits for 
the means of daily existence. The Sultan had just sent 
his gold and silver plate to the mint to be coined in order 
to buy up the depreciated paper currency. The people of 
whole districts were at the verge of starvation because the 
$80,000,000 of paper money in circulation had lost its 
purehas^ng power. I was naturally incredulous as to the 
reality of what I had seen. If these jewels were real, 
their value must be sufficient to pay off the dishonored 
bonds of Turkey. It did not seem reasonable that the 
Turkish Government could have passed through such 
straits as those to which it had been reduced by the war 
without having recourse to their treasure-house. Multi- 
tudes of articles in those rooms have an immense antique 
and artistic value entirely aside from their intrinsic value. 

'•' I spoke in this strain to one of the officers of the Im- 
perial Ottoman Bank, and he replied that the jewels were 
unquestionably genuine. He said that during the Avar the 
Turks borrowed $30,000,000 from the bank. The loan 
was to be secured by pledge of jewels from this treasure- 
house, and the bank officials were told to help themselves 
from its riches. They selected enough of the jewels to 
guarantee them amply against loss. These jewels were 
packed in three small boxes and removed to the vaults of 
the bank. But their removal left no gap in the great ac- 
cumulation. Afterward I asked a Turk why the Govern- 
ment did not sell this treasure and be at ease. ' Sell it 1 ' 
said the Turk ; ' why, it is the treasure of all the Sultans ! 
It cannot be sold.' 

"So there is this treasure-house to-day — a grand relic 
of ancient splendor — in the hands of the broken, ruined 
remnant of the house of Osman. The possession of this 



112 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

enormous wealth must be a terrible temptation at times, to 
the worn man who wears the Sacred Sword of Turkey. 
But he clings to it through all his adversity, for it is the 
only relic left to the Empire of the glory of its past." 

Two of the oldest authenticated diamonds in Europe 
belong to the Sultan. One of them, a beautiful stone 
of twenty-four karats, and which adorns the aigrette 
of the Imperial plume on days of parade, was found 
in Constantinople in the time of Mahomet IV. It 
was picked up by a poor man upon a heap of dirt 
not far from the gate of Egrikapon. The finder had 
no idea of the value of his treasure, and sold it for a 
trifle. Passing through the hands of several pur- 
chasers, the gem was finally brought to the notice of 
the guild of goldsmiths, when its true character was 
made known. It was then seized by the Grand 
Vizier and annexed to the Imperial treasures by 
an edict. The other diamond, which is of greater 
beauty and weight, was found by a child playing in 
the Haiwanserai, or the Hebdomon, during the reign 
of Mahomet II., or about the middle of the fifteenth 
century. It was believed by the antiquaries that 
these gems belonged to the treasures of ancient 
Byzantium, and that the last may have adorned the 
crown of the Byzantine emperors. This jewel was 
lost by the fault of the masters of the wardrobe on 
the place of the Hebdomon during a triumphal march 
in the twenty-second year of the reign of Justinian, 
or 548 A. D. We can learn nothing more concerning 
the condition of these diamonds when found, but infer 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 113 

that they were polished, otherwise they probably 
would not have attracted the notice of the finders. 

Lamartine and other historians of the Ottoman Em- 
pire allude to its treasury as in reality a wonderful 
museum of art, whose wealth is unknown and perhaps 
incalculable. They state that in four vast apartments 
beneath the Seraglio, vaulted subterraneously to shel- 
ter them from the ravages of fire, are collected the 
sacred relics, the jewels, the gems, and a great variety 
of objects of value that have accumulated since the 
origin of the monarchy. The antiquary may well 
say in viewing this collection of treasure, " The spoils 
of the universe are here represented." For whatever 
of value and historic worth was saved from the 
wreck of Rome or preserved from the accumulations 
of the Greek concpaests was gathered at Byzan- 
tium. In this fatal Acropolis at the extreme point 
of the continent of Europe, the Greek Empire had 
indeed collected all its monuments, all its master- 
pieces, all its riches, as if to tempt fate and render 
the prize all the more glittering to the eyes of the 
Ottomans. 

Many, if not the most, of these priceless relics and 
treasures fell into the clutches of the Turks when 
Constantinople was won. Nothing escaped at that 
time. There is no doubt but that many remarkable 
gems were captured at this period, but concerning 
their nature and their value history has left us but 
little more than conjecture. 

However, the historians speak definitely of the 



114 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Greek emperors (luring their prosperity as displaying 
a magnificence worthy of the luxurious periods of 
Eome. The costumes of these rulers are described 
as marvels of art, and their jewels as of inestima- 
ble price. The accounts remind the reader of the 
descriptions left by Claudian of the treasures of 
Theodosius : — 

u Sidonian mantles rich with purple fold, 
Belts bossed with pearls, robes stiff with gems and gold, 
And breastplates shining green with emeralds bright, 
And helmets rich with precious sapphires dight." 

That diamonds were then used as gems and held 
in high estimation may be inferred from the single 
remark of the indignant historian, " One man buys 
entire Syria with the diamonds of his wife." Perhaps 
the word diamond was thus used figuratively, and the 
expression referred to gems and jewels in general. 

Besides these accumulations of the Greeks, much 
of the spoil collected by Timour in his merciless 
sack of India and Persia came afterwards iuto the 
possession of the Emirs of Asiatic Turkey, and 
eventually drifted to Constantinople. What these 
treasures w T ere may be imagined from the glowing 
descriptions given by the historians of the last scenes 
of the life and reign of the great Tatar conqueror. 
The magnificent fetes given by Timour on his return 
to Samarcand after the conquest of Arabia and East- 
ern Turkey, surpassed in historic splendor even the 
descriptions of Oriental fable. In the gigantic palace 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 115 

erected by him during the days of .leisure between 
his conquests, and which was -one of the marvels of 
the architectural world, he celebrated in a single day 
the marriage of six of his grandsons. The spoils 
of the universe were displayed in the decorations of 
the marriage feasts. The wealth of the Indies had 
been transferred to the home of the Tatar. Pearls, 
sapphires, and diamonds were showered in profusion 
upon the married pairs. Nine times did they change 
their apparel, and, arrayed in different solid cinctures 
of a tissue of pearls and diamonds, present them- 
selves to the view of Timour, — the last festivities of 
the great Tatar chieftain. 

This wonderful display of mediaeval times recalls 
to the mind of the antiquary the magnificent mar- 
riage feasts of Alexander and his eighty lieutenants 
with their beautiful Persian brides. This historic 
festivity took place in Persia 324 B. c, when the 
Greek army returned from India, and continued for 
five days. Like that of Timour, it displayed in its 
magnificence the gems and art treasures of conquered 
Asia. The diamond, however, does not appear. Art 
evidently had not then acquired the process by which 
the natural and rough crystal is developed into a 
gem of sparkling and lustrous beauty. And the se- 
lected brides, to enhance their natural charms, wore 
pearls, emeralds, rubies, and turquoises wreathed 
among their tresses of hair, or in their necklaces, 
amulets, anklets, and bracelets. 

Among the treasures supposed to be gathered in 



116 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

these catacombs of an Empire's wealth at Constan- 
tinople, there is one especially dear to the dilettante, 
— the wondrous ring of Ahmed. Vanquished in the 
long, bloody, and desperate battle fought upon the 
slopes of Olympus when entire Turkey was the prize, 
Ahmed offered to his victorious brother Selim I. a 
single gem to purchase the honors of a tomb. This 
precious stone was set in a ring richly chased in gold, 
and was the gift of Bajazet II. to the most beloved of 
his children. It was as dear as the ring Solomon 
wore, and which was gifted with wonderful powers 
extendino- even to the invisible world. But it was 
as fatal as that which Polycrates cast into the sea as 
an offering to the gods for his long-continued pros- 
perity. History does not mention the nature of this 
remarkable treasure, nor relate whether it was dia- 
mond, sapphire, or emerald. However, we may glean 
some idea as to its rarity and beauty from the state- 
ment that the Genoese jewellers who were then the 
gem-venders of the world placed its value at a year's 
revenue of all Asia Minor. 

The antiquary may also find among these dusty 
and forgotten collections some of the lost gems and 
beautiful works of art of ancient Eome, or, perhaps, 
the rich ornaments brought home by the Macedonian 
soldiers from their Eastern triumphs, or the holy relics 
which the Arabs removed from the Gothic treasury 
at Toledo, and concealed in their fortresses and fast- 
nesses of Syria. In mediaeval times the precious 
stones and all that was marvellous in decorative art 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 117 

that fell into the hands of the Genoese and Vene- 
tian merchants went to Constantinople to adorn the 
magnificence of the Turkish nobles. "Whatever the 
Mamelukes had gathered together in their treasury 
in Egypt, rescued from the dust of the catacombs, or 
wrested from the isolated strongholds of Western 
Africa, was seized by one fell swoop of the Turkish 
horsemen and transferred to the Bosphorus. 

The extravagance of the Turkish nobility during 
some of the brilliant reigns of the Empire was ex- 
treme, and seems to belong to the golden age of fable 
rather than to the truthful periods of history. We 
can form some idea of the wealth of these favorites 
of the Sultans from the glowing descriptions left by 
the Ottoman historians. 

Sinan-Pasha, the Turkish Marius, seven times 
exiled and seven times consul, yet dying at last 
at eighty while conducting the army to Hungary, 
left a heritage worthy of a king. Among his im- 
mense possessions the historian enumerates thirty- 
two cuirasses incrusted with rubies, fifteen strings 
of huge pearls, sixty bushels of fine pearls, seven 
tablecloths bespangled with diamonds, all accumu- 
lated during campaigns in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
Another potentate, the Grand Vizier Sokolli, exhibi- 
ted a love of magnificence worthy of the most reck- 
less Koman profligates. His garden, near Tokat, was 
the wonder of Asia Minor, and was called the garden 
of Paradise, " Djennet-bagni." Its parterres, instead 
of being covered with natural flowers, sparkled with 



118 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

rubies and precious stones imitating the form of 
flowers and surpassing them in splendor. This 
unique display of art was finally destroyed by the 
victorious barbarian hordes from Asia, and the beau- 
tiful imitations of flowering vegetation were borne 
off to the distant steppes to be transferred into orna- 
ments for arms and horse-gear. 

In forming a conjecture of the value of the treas- 
ures of the Turkish Seraglio, the antiquary naturally 
and justly recalls to memory the magnificence of early 
history and the numerous spoliations of ancient na- 
tions that eventually fell into the grasp of the Greek 
and Eoman Emperors. Let us follow briefly the 
historian among some of the fragments of history 
which relate to this subject, and seem to indicate 
that the treasures of the earth gathered during the 
last two thousand years in reality drifted in course of 
time and by the fortunes of war to the Greek Capitol. 
It is the sad epitome of man's greatness and his 
insignificance. For the pillage which graced the tri- 
umphs of the Greek and Eoman arms not only rep- 
resented the peaceful industry of nations, but they 
were also often the memorials of the destruction of 
the earth's fairest hopes. 

Eome, in the height of her glory, displayed a mag- 
nificence worthy of the valor of her arms and the 
magnitude of her conquests. Her temples were 
profusely decorated with gems, and her nobles vied 
with each other in the possession of the rare and 
the beautiful. At times the Coliseum exhibited the 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 119 

wealth- of the nation and the liberality of its rulers. 
The poet who describes the games of Carinus affirms 
that the porticos of the immense edifice were gilded, 
and the extensive circles which divided the ranks 
of spectators from each other were studded with a 
precious mosaic of beautiful stones, — 

" Balteus in gemmis in lita portico aureo 
Certatim radiant," etc. 

In the triumphs of Rome the spoils of the last con- 
quest were not only displayed, but the accumulated 
riches of the Empire were ostentatiously exhibited to 
view at the same time. 

To give the reader an idea of the magnificence of 
these celebrations, we will describe the triumphal 
entry into the eternal city by Aurelian when re- 
turning from the conquest of Palmyra and the na- 
tions situated along the great commercial highways 
to Asia. This was one of the greatest of the Eoman 
triumphs, and spread a dazzling glory over the name 
of the conqueror. The pomp was opened by the 
stately procession of twenty enormous elephants, 
followed by four royal tigers and more than two 
hundred of the most curious animals from all parts 
of the world. Then came a fierce and haughty band of 
sixteen hundred gladiators, selected for their beauty, 
strength, and skill. The wealth of Asia followed this 
vanguard of brute strength. Displayed in charming 
arrangement or carelessly heaped in immense piles, 
the spectators witnessed the arms, ensigns, and a vast 
collection of the objects of value and luxury of many 



120 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

conquered nations. Among the articles of gold were 
exhibited the numerous crowns of Aurelian, together 
with the magnificent plate and wardrobe of the 
Syrian queen. Amidst this glittering array appeared 
the embassies of foreign and distant nations ; and the 
ambassadors of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, India, and 
China, with their brilliant or picturesque costumes, 
added greatly to the interest and splendor of the 
scene. Following these came long trains of captives 
from various nations, — Goths, Vandals, Sarmatians, 
Gauls, Syrians, etc., — with the ill-fated emperor, 
Tetricus, and his son, dressed in Gallic costume. 
But the most attractive figure of all to the Roman 
populace was the beauteous form of the celebrated 
queen of the Syrian deserts. Zenobia was on foot 
and alone. As if in mockery of human ambition, she 
preceded the magnificent chariot in which she once 
hoped to have entered Rome. Her elegant figure 
was shackled with solid chains of gold, while she 
tottered under the weight of the inestimable jewels 
which adorned her natural graces. In the rear ap- 
peared the still more sumptuous chariots of Odenatus 
and of the Persian monarch. The triumphal car 
which carried Aurelian was resplendent with gems, 
and was drawn by four stags. 

One of the most magnificent exhibitions of extrav- 
agance and luxury of ancient times was displayed 
on the march of Tiridates and his Parthian nobles, 
when they went to Rome to receive the nominal 
crown from the hand of Nero. Four thousand se- 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 121 

lected Parthian cavalry, clothed in rich apparel, es- 
corted the King. The entire expense of the journey, 
which lasted several months and amounted to more 
than thirty thousand dollars a day, was paid by the 
Eomans. The triumphal procession traversed Asia 
Minor, crossed the Hellespont, passed through upper 
GreeCe, around the Adriatic, and then down the 
peninsula to Rome. 

It was a great day for Rome when the Parthians 
approached its walls. The city was illuminated, and 
decorated with garlands and the movable wealth of 
the Empire. The Roman nobles w T ere clad in white ; 
and the splendid Pretorian guards, glittering with 
their arms and decorations, were drawn up in two 
lines stretching from the end of the Forum to the 
Rostra. Through these lines of steel, flanked by a 
vast assemblage of citizens, Tiridates and his proud 
nobles marched to the Rostra, and received from the 
hands of Nero the promised diadem. The Empire 
impoverished herself in this barbaric display and 
attempt to awe and charm her haughtiest foe. The 
accumulated spoils of three hundred triumphs at 
Rome formed a glittering prize to the minds of Alaric 
and his devoted Goths. 

But six years before the capture of the city, Rome 
displayed her magnificence and her wealth in the 
ovation given to St. Melania on her return. The 
extent of the decoration of the temples and their 
shrines may be inferred from the quotations of the 
historians. Serena, the wife of the Roman general, 



122 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Stilicho, on great occasions wore a magnificent neck- 
lace which she borrowed from the statue of Vesta. 
But the protection of the goddess could not protect 
the unfortunate woman from being strangled by the 
Eomans during the siege by the Goths. 

The fame of these treasures had spread all over the 
known world. And to the Goths the beauty of gems 
and the delights of luxuries were not entirely un- 
known. For, in previous times, they had invaded 
the coasts of the Euxine Sea and sacked many of the 
rich cities, like Trebizond. In the pillage of the 
city by the Goths, Alaric is said to have protected 
the consecrated plate and ornaments of the temples ; 
but he undoubtedly confiscated the most valuable 
and notable of the treasures. The booty of the army 
was immense ; and when the victorious soldiers took 
their departure the roads were incumbered with the 
rich and weighty spoils. The haughty victors, clad 
in the vestments of unexpected luxury, might, have 
been seen resting by the wayside, waited on by their 
captives, — the sons and daughters of Eoman sena- 
tors, — drinking the wine of Italy in golden goblets, 
decorated with gems. 

The treasures obtained by the Goths in the con- 
quest and sack of Italy were borne away with them 
to Gaul. Besides these, the Gothic chieftains are 
said to have possessed many valuable gifts from other 
nations. The record of these wonderful works of art 
has been lost ; but a few scraps of history, here and 
there, give glimpses of marvellous treasures. When 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 123 

the Franks pillaged the palace at Narbonne in France, 
in the sixth century, they found many curious and 
costly ornaments of gold. 

But most of the treasures and choice works were 
undoubtedly carried along with the army into Spain, 
and deposited in the Gothic treasury at Toledo. 
These were eventually captured by the Saracens and 
sent to Damascus. Thus, by the singular fortunes of 
war, these remarkable and beautiful relics returned 
to the Holy Land whence some of them had been 
taken centuries before. Among these articles was 
the famous "Missorium," or great dish for the ser- 
vice of the table, weighing five hundred pounds. It 
was formed of solid gold of exquisite workmanship, 
richly inlaid with gems, and was the pride of the 
Goths. 

The wonderful emerald table, which has been so 
enthusiastically described by the Arabian writers, was 
also seized at the same time. The transparent top of 
this table was encircled with three rows of fine pearls, 
supported on three hundred and sixty-five feet, formed 
of gold and gems. This superb piece of workman- 
ship was valued at five hundred thousand pieces of 
gold. 

The marriage feast of Adolphus, the successor of 
Alaric, with Placidia, the daughter of the great Theo- 
dosius, was a memorable occasion in ancient history. 
It was celebrated at Narbonne, and displayed the 
prodigality and magnificence of the Goths. The cere- 
mony was performed according to the lavish fashion 



124 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the Komans and the rude customs of the victors. 
Adolphus offered to his bride, in accordance with the 
manner of his nation, the spoils of her country. Fifty 
beautiful youths, attired in silken robes, presented 
the happy maiden with one hundred basins, one half 
of which were filled with gold, and the rest were 
heaped with gems of an inestimable price. Such was 
the inconstancy of fortune in those days, and such 
the cruelty of the times, that only a year after this 
grand event the beautiful woman, the daughter of a 
Eoman emperor, and the wife of the Gothic chieftain, 
might have been seen marching on foot with a crowd 
of vulgar captives, in front of the horse of the assassin 
of her beloved husband. However, a few short days 
after the usurpation, the Gothic army, struck with 
pity and indignation at the sufferings of Placidia, 
attacked and slew her barbarous master. 

Genseric, with his Moors and Vandals, fiercer in 
their pillage than the Goths of Alaric, ravaged Eome 
for fourteen days and nights. Everything of value, 
sacred or profane, was seized and borne away to the 
galleys of the invaders. Even the Empress Eudoxia 
was rudely stripped of her ornaments ; and the holy 
relics, brought from Jerusalem by Titus and spared 
by Alaric, were taken from the temples and trans- 
ferred to Carthage. One of the vessels, containing a 
part of the sacred utensils and other treasures, was 
shipwrecked on the same shore which a thousand 
years later swallowed up the wonderful and blood- 
stained emeralds which Cortez wrested from Mexico 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 125 

and carried with him when wrecked with the Admiral 
of Castile. The remainder were saved to swell the 
ponderous pile of booty when Carthage fell before 
the arms and genius of Belisarius. All these treas- 
ures, the collections of the Moor and the Vandal, were 
transported to the Bosphorus to enrich the city of the 
conquerors. 

To the successful army and its general a triumph 
was decreed ; and it was the first Byzantium had 
ever seen. The display on this historic occasion 
was worthy of the army and its hero. The wealth of 
nations was brought forth to heighten the splendor 
of the scene. Eich armor, golden thrones, chariots, 
varied forms of sculpture and furniture, statues, 
vases, and other objects of art, together with the 
holy relics of the Jewish Temple, were displayed in 
the procession. 

But the grandest object of all was presented by the 
noble and majestic form of Belisarius, marching on 
foot at the head of a band of his bravest officers. 
Later in life, at the capture of Ravenna, Belisarius 
obtained the treasures of the Gothic army, which had 
been collected in that stronghold. These were trans- 
ferred to the Byzantine palace ; but the deserving 
general was deprived of his hard-won triumph, for 
Justinian had now become envious of the glory of 
his subject. The magnificent spectacle of the booty 
was not exhibited to the populace ; but shown only 
to the flattering and subservient senate. 

The results of the Persian conquests largely in- 



126 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

creased the number, variety, and value of the art and 
gem collections at Constantinople. The Persian mon- 
arch, Chosroes, to arrange and preserve the treasures 
gathered by rapine or tribute, constructed an elegant 
palace at Dastagherd beyond the Tigris. In this 
stronghold, protected in a hundred vaults, were de- 
posited most of the gold, silver, gems, silks, aromatics, 
and other objects collected from Persia and other 
countries of Asia. All these fell into the bold hands 
of the Eoman Emperor Heraclius ; but a part of them, 
during an unlucky tempest, were lost in the waves of 
the Euxine Sea. In the capture of Tauris, Heraclius 
obtained what were supposed to have been the spoils 
of Croesus, which had been transported by Cyrus from 
the citadel of Sardes. 

Once only, before the coming of the Turk, was 
Constantinople, during its many centuries of varied 
prosperity and adversity, subjected to serious pillage. 
Hostile armies had again and again surged up to 
its almost impregnable walls, only to retire in dis- 
comfiture ; and it seemed as though the grand old 
city was protected by some invisible agency from 
external violence. Internal dissension, however, was 
the bane of the capital, and was the true cause of the 
success of the Latins, and finally that of the Turks. 
The successful attack by the combined forces of the 
Latins and Venetians was one of the results of the 
Crusades. It took place in the commencement of 
the thirteenth century. 

The city, however, remained under the Latin power 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 127 

for only fifty-seven years, when it was recaptured by 
a bold stroke of the Greeks. Injured by the pillage 
of the Latins, and many of its beautiful edifices 
destroyed by fire during the siege or subsequent oc- 
cupation, the Greek capital not only lost its prestige 
of divine protection, but it has never recovered its 
former splendor. How much of the spoils were re- 
moved by the captors is a matter of conjecture. The 
historians of the Greeks and Latins — the spoiled and 
spoiler — undoubtedly exaggerate the injury of the 
conquest and the quantity of booty obtained. 

Two of the Emperors, succeeding by usurpation, 
fled from the city with much treasure before it was 
finally captured. Even then one quarter of the ac- 
cepted plunder was reserved for the elected ruler of 
Constantinople. And as to the remainder, which is 
said to have been divided equally between the French 
and Venetians, and valued at 11,125,000 marks of sil- 
ver, or $11,000,000, there is no record extant of the 
articles. We know that the bronze horses of the Hip- 
podrome were transferred to Saint Mark's Palace, and 
the crown of thorns to the Sainte Chapelle at Paris. 
We also learn that many gems — the adamas, emerald, 
jacinth, ruby, sapphire — were among the spoils ; but 
if the sack was complete, why did Venice years after- 
wards offer ten thousand ducats for the seamless vest- 
ure of the Redeemer, which was then among the sacred 
reliquaries of Constantinople ? If these spoils were 
divided between the conquerors, how explain the fact 
recorded in French history, that the sacred relics sent 



128 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

to Paris and placed in the church erected to receive 
them were purchased ? It is a matter of history that 
the crown of thorns, with the piece of the true cross, 
the antique gems, and other relics that were de- 
posited in Sainte Chapelle, together with the con- 
struction of the building, cost Saint Louis of Baldwin, 
Emperor of Constantinople, a sum of money equal to 
2,800,000 francs. This fact, coupled with the offer 
of the Venetians for the holy vestment, renders the 
accounts of the sack of the city still more obscure. 
The historian Yriarte declares that the only monu- 
ments of art deemed by the Venetians as worthy of 
transporting to their capital were the famous bronze 
horses. If this statement is correct, the Venetians 
must have been sadly deficient in taste, or history 
has wrongfully accused the founders of Constanti- 
nople of spoliation. 

According to the early accounts, Constantine, in 
the reconstruction of Byzantium, despoiled the cities 
of Asia and Greece of their most valuable ornaments, 
the trophies of memorable wars, the objects of relig- 
ious veneration, the most finished statues of the 
gods and heroes, of the sages and poets, of ancient 
times. The most celebrated works of the age of 
Pericles and Alexander were remorselessly seized by 
the Emperor and transferred to his capital to enhance 
its beauty and its renown. So many statues and 
architectural masterpieces had been transported to 
the Bosphorus that the historian Cedrenus ironically 
said, " Nothing in this great city was wanting except 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 129 

the souls of the illustrious men whom those admira- 
ble monuments were intended to represent." 

In the reign of Justinian the city was decorated 
by the best of living artists. In the construction of 
the public edifices, the richest materials were sought 
for and used with lavish hand. The bright hues, the 
primitive lustre, of many of the stones of which the 
buildings were composed were so remarkable as to 
form the theme of a poet. Distant countries were 
explored for choice materials. The costly marbles of 
Asia, Gaul, Greece, and Africa were transported to 
the Bosphorus. Among the rare stones used by the 
Greek architects, one may recognize in the ruins of 
the present day, the emerald-green marble of Laco- 
nia, the golden-hued of Mauritania, the black of 
Gaul, and the purple and red, with intersecting veins 
of sea-green, of Phrygia. The shrine which stood 
in the Mosque of Saint Sophia a thousand years 
ago or more must have been of marvellous beauty. 
The wealth and energy of the ancient world was 
expended upon it ; and we can form some picture of 
it in our imagination from the fact that the Emperor 
Justinian, on beholding it after its completion, ex- 
claimed, with outstretched arms, " Solomon, I have 
surpassed thee." 

The magnificence displayed by the wealthy houses 
of Byzantium in their internal arrangements must 
have been of an extraordinary character if we can 
judge correctly from the invectives of Chrysostora ; 
and the utensils of silver and gold were in mas- 



130 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

siveness far beyond the prodigality of modern times. 
Eamusio, the Venetian historian, dazzles the reader 
with his glittering descriptions of the acquisitions of 
his countrymen. He mentions with preciseness the 
vases whose forms were as grotesque and varied as 
the caprice of man, —the murrhines Pompey won 
in his triumphs over Mithridates and Tigranes; chal- 
ices decked with gems or formed of turquoise, jasper, 
and amethyst ; crowns of gold, studded with pearls ; 
unnumbered emeralds, sapphires, topazes, jacinths, 
and other gems ; also the matchless carbuncles which 
afterwards adorned the altar at Saint Mark's, and 
which were believed by the superstitious to have the 
power -of dissipating the darkness by their refulgent 
beams of light. 

Constantinople, with its remaining works of art, 
again fell into the power of the Greeks and was 
retained by them until captured by the Turks. To 
describe the treasures of the Greek capital before its 
capture, and correctly estimate the character and 
value of the objects removed, and those secreted and 
again brought to light, will be a difficult task for 
some restless antiquary. We are, however, inclined 
to believe the Greeks successfully secreted many of 
their choicest gems. All through the pages of early 
and mediaeval history, the reader will observe that 
by a strange caprice of fortune many of the richest 
and rarest works of art and nature passed into the 
possession of the rulers of Byzantium, Constanti- 
nople, or Stamboul. These three names, distinct in 



TURKISH CASKET AND ANCIENT GEMS. 131 

their meaniug, yet relate to one and the same city, 
which, during its existence of more than a thousand 
years, passed successively under the sway of the 
Koman, the Greek, and the Turk. Stamboul is still 
the Mecca of the antiquary. 



132 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

RUSSIAN REGALIA. 

The Empire of Eussia has the most splendid collec- 
tion of diamonds of any country in the world, with 
the exception, perhaps, of Persia. In the Kremlin at 
Moscow, and the Winter Palace at St. Petersburg, 
are preserved a multitude of gems of the highest 
perfection and beauty, and also many interesting 
ornaments formed or captured by the early rulers of 
Eussia. Possessing many of the avenues of approach 
and trade with the countries of Central and Southern 
Asia, this country has long enjoyed excellent facili- 
ties for obtaining the gems from Upper India and 
Persia. The enormous quantity the treasury still 
possesses, added to the great number given away in 
past times by various sovereigns, naturally gives rise 
to the inquiry, whence this great abundance of pre- 
cious stones came. We may say that this grand 
accumulation commenced in the earliest days of the 
Eussian dynasty, and has been steadily increas- 
ing by direct intercourse with the gem-producing 
countries. 

Many of the fine gems that fell into the hands of 
the Turks in their various conquests, have indirectly 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 133 

passed, by purchase or otherwise, into the possession 
of the Eussians. 

Some others recall the times of the incursions of 
the Cossacks of the tenth century, when the fearless 
hordes of the North marched even to the gates of 
Constantinople, and imposed menaces and ransoms 
upon the Greek emperors. 

The crafty policy of the Eussian dates back from 
those distant times. " Let us be content," said the 
old Eussian chieftain to his impetuous warriors com- 
plaining of treaties and tributes ; " is it not better to 
obtain, without fighting, the gold, the silver, the silk, 
the precious stones of these people ? " 

The still earlier Scythians, with their light active 
horse, performed incredible journeys even into Illyri- 
cum and Thrace. The river Danube offered but a 
slight barrier to these fearless riders ; and they boldly 
traversed flood, forest, and plain, sweeping, with im- 
punity and menace, even up to the walls of Byzan- 
tium. They pillaged, without remorse, the rich towns 
and country palaces of the nobles, and returned to 
their forest wilds accompanied by thousands of cap- 
tives, and laden with booty of immense value. 

We are also reminded by the historian, that a part 
of Eussia, especially Poland, was the Sarmatia of the 
ancients, whence issued the fearless swarms of invin- 
cible Huns and Goths and Sclavonians, who spread 
desolation at various times over nearly the whole of 
Europe. Although these fierce hordes seldom returned 
to their native plains, preferring the sunnier portions 



134 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the conquered countries, yet they did not abandon 
all communication with the land of their birth. 
Many ot their incursions into the Koman provinces 
were rewarded with immense booty of captives, and 
a variety of plunder. For fifteen hundred years 
the customs of the Poles were but little changed. 
The love of nomadic life, of magnificence, of arms, 
dress, ornaments, was a predominating trait until a 
very recent period. The famous political assemblies 
of the Poles on the plain of Volo were among the 
grandest displays of barbaric splendors of any age ; 
and sometimes one hundred thousand Poles were 
assembled in conclave. 

The chivalry, the wealth of the country, was rep- 
resented there. All the nobles and citizens of note 
attended, mounted upon the finest horses, and capari- 
soned and decorated in the most lavish manner. As 
the historian says, " The children of the desert strove 
to hide the furs and skins in which they were clothed, 
under chains of gold and the glitter of jewels. Their 
bonnets were composed of panther skin; plumes of 
eagles or herons surmounted them ; on their front 
were the most splendid precious stones. Their robes 
of sable or ermine were bound with velvet or silver ; 
their girdles studded with jewels ; over all their furs 
were suspended chains of diamonds. One hand of 
each nobleman was without a glove; on it was the 
splendid ring on which the arms of his family were 
engraved, — the mark, as in ancient Eome, of the 
equestrian order, — another proof of the intimate con- 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 135 

nection between the race, the customs, the traditions 
of the Northern tribes, and the founders of the Eter- 
nal City." But nothing in this rivalry of magnifi- 
cence could equal the splendor of their arms : double 
poniards, double scimetars set with brilliants ; buck- 
lers of costly workmanship ; battle-axes enriched in 
silver and glittering with emeralds and sapphires. 

After reviewing the history of ancient and mediae- 
val Poland, we are not surprised at the accumulation 
of gems in Russia, nor at the fact that some of the 
fine gems now in the modern cabinets of Europe 
were obtained from that country. For instance, the 
splendid green diamond of Dresden came from 
Warsaw. 

The grand repository of the Empire is in the 
towers of the Kremlin ; and here are preserved the 
sacred relics and the almost innumerable treasures 
of the Empire. In the galleries of this ancient castle 
of the Muscovites are gathered such an accumula- 
tion of wonders that the visitor is fairly dazzled, 
and is forcibly reminded of the tales of Eastern ro- 
mance, of the munificence of the store-house of the 
Caliph Haroun-Al-Raschid, and the wells of Aboul 
Kasem. 

Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topazes, and 
other gems, of large size and wondrous beauty, flash 
from every side of the apartment; and their profusion 
astonishes the mineralogist, who has been accustomed 
to regard these natural treasures as rare. It will be 
quite impossible to enumerate or explain properly 



136 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the glittering arrangement of these marvellous works 
of art and nature. The sceptres, the crowns, the 
caskets, the reliquaries, the globes, thrones, and the 
insignia of religion and royalty collected here, fairly 
dazzle the eye by the reflections from the immense 
number of gems which decorate them. The scene 
reminds one of the prismatic effect of the rays of the 
morning or evening sun upon the numberless rain- 
drops on the grass, after a shower has passed. 

Here we shall find the crowns of the Muscovite 
Czars, together with the captured diadems and rega- 
lia of the countries that form a part of this vast realm. 
Among them may be seen, in all of their original 
quaintness and splendor, the crowns of Siberia, Nov- 
gorod, Kazan, Moscow, Poland,. and the Crimea. To 
this imperial display we may expect to see added, at 
no distant day, the jewels of the Southern countries, 
which seem to be the inevitable heirlooms of the 
sagacious Cossack. 

To describe correctly, and in a proper manner, the 
works of ancient, mediaeval, and modern art collected 
here, would require a large volume by itself. We 
will, however, attempt to give a brief description of 
some of the beautiful crowns, which, though gen- 
erally of rude workmanship, are yet studded with 
gems of an immense value, and are also objects of 
great historic interest. 

Foremost of all, appears the magnificent diadem 
worn by the former Empress Anna Ivanovna, and 
which is, perhaps, one of the most splendid jewels 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 137 

of its kind in the world. It is well proportioned, 
and lightly formed of open gold work, incrusted with 
a vast number of exquisite gems, and among them 
2,536 diamonds of great perfection. On its top, 
serving as a base to a slender cross of pearls, is 
placed the immense and wonderful ruby, which the 
Eussian ambassador purchased at Pekin, at the 
price of 120,000 roubles. 

The crown of Vladimir, which is used at the 
crowning of the heir to the throne, is composed of 
filigree gold- work, surmounted by a cross of plain 
gold, with a large pearl on each arm. It is sur- 
rounded at its base by a band of sable fur, and is 
ornamented with 4 fine emeralds, 2 rubies, and 25 
pearls. 

This crown was a gift from the Emperor Alexis 
Comnenus, and was brought with ceremony from 
Constantinople, by a Greek embassy, in the year 
1116. 

This circumstance recalls to memory the history 
and fate of the last of the Comnenuses, the self-styled 
Emperor of Trebizond, and who afforded so many 
themes of ridicule to the knights and troubadours of 
the fifteenth century. 

In connection with our subject, it may be proper 
to give a sketch of the appearance of this potentate 
when he gave an audience to foreign ambassadors. 

His dress was a tight gown of scarlet silk; around 
his neck, down the front of his gown, and around the 
bottom of it, were bands of gold about four inches 



138 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

wide ; these were edged with pearls, and ornamented 
with large rubies and emeralds in rows down the 
centre of each band of gold. On his arms, above the 
elbows, were golden armlets, and around his wrists 
gold bracelets, all set with precious stones of various 
colors. His girdle was of the same pattern, about 
three inches wide, and had a hanging end about two 
feet long, which the Byzantine emperors, for some 
undiscovered reason, always carried over the left arm. 
In his right hand he bore a golden sceptre about 
three feet long, with a large cross at the top, set with 
enormous pearls. On his head he wore a close golden 
crown, of which the top was arranged in metal like a 
helmet. From this crown a fillet set with pearls 
hung down on each side of his face as far as his 
beard, which was of considerable length. Scarlet 
silk hose and golden sandals completed the Imperial 
costume, except two round ornaments of gold, each 
of the size of a plate, which were affixed to his robe 
on the outside of his thigh. 

Such was the appearance of this vain ruler when 
he gave audience to the envoys of Mahomet II., the 
conqueror of Constantinople. The plain steel-clad 
warriors of the Sultan briefly said, "Wilt thou secure 
thy treasures and thy life by resigning thy kingdom ; 
or wilt thou, rather forfeit thy kingdom, thy treasures, 
and thy life ? " 

The sceptre of Vladimir is also preserved here. 
It is about three feet long, and contains among its 
ornaments 268 diamonds, 360 rubies, and 15 emeralds. 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 139 

The enamel covering of the rest of the surface, un- 
adorned by the gems, represents religious subjects, 
painted and treated in the Byzantine style. 

The tiara of Astrakhan is far more complex in its 
construction, and is very rich in barbaric taste. It is 
now known as the gold Imperial Crown of the First 
Order of the Czar ; and is a tall, imposing struc- 
ture, covered with brilliant gems. Among them are 
many fine rubies, emeralds, pearls, and an enormous 
sapphire of great value. 

The crown of Kazan, captured in 1553 by John 
IV., is a very interesting specimen of mediaeval work- 
manship, and shows the influence of Persian art in its 
arrangement. It is of gold filigree-work, intermixed 
with black, and is adorned with splendid rubies, tur- 
quoises, and pearls. On the summit is placed a very 
large ruby, surmounted with two pearls. 

The ornament known as the diamond cap of the 
Czar is a singular combination of the rude and the 
beautiful in art. It is profusely garnished with 817 
diamonds of the first water, besides 4 magnificent 
rubies and 8 emeralds. This is also surmounted with 
an enormous ruby, which sustains on its summit 
a solid Greek cross, composed of gems and pearls 
set in gold. 

We have not space to describe the remaining 
diadems of ancient rulers, or those of recent times, 
nor the rich breast-crosses, the sceptres, and the va- 
rious regalia used in the coronation of the Eussian 
Emperors, but will mention the Grand Imperial 



140 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Orb, before proceeding to the description of the an- 
cient and curious thrones. 

The Orb is an immense globe of gold, heavily 
chased and richly incrusted with large and beautiful 
gems. It is surmounted with a tall Greek cross, also 
studded with precious stones of the purest water and 
color. It is of Byzantine workmanship, as early as 
the tenth century, and is said to have served as model 
for several other ornaments of this character, made 
at Venice in later times. The upper portion of the 
exterior of the globe is arranged in four triangular 
spaces, whereon are enamelled in color scenes from 
the life of David. Among the gems which are set 
in enamelled gold are 58 diamonds, 89 rubies, 23 
blue gems(?), 50 emeralds, and 38 pearls. 

The three unique chairs used as thrones in the 
coronations of the rulers of Eussia are objects of 
historical interest and are of great value intrinsically. 
The smallest of the three, designated as the Stool, 
is the most ancient of all, having been presented in 
1605 by Shah Abbas of Persia to the Czar Boras 
Godunoff. It is completely covered with polished 
sheets of beaten gold decorated with pearls and pre- 
cious stones. The second seat is in the form of a 
high-back chair of rude workmanship, and is intended 
for the reigning Empress, and is called the Golden 
Throne. Although its proportions are uncouth, a 
mine of wealth has been expended in its decorations, 
and it is inlaid with 1,500 rubies, 8,000 turquoises, 
2 magnificent topazes, and 4 rare amethysts. The 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 141 

third chair, of rude construction, was made as early 
as 1660, and is intended for the Emperor, and des- 
ignated as the Diamond Throne. It is literally a 
mass of sparkling diamonds ; and every portion of 
the chair is aglow with brilliant colored flashes of 
the diamonds, so profusely is this gem used in its 
decoration. The rude and imperfect cutting of these 
beautiful stones indicates their Oriental origin as 
well as their antiquity. 

The Priests' Treasury in the Kremlin is a wonder- 
ful accumulation of wealth. We will attempt to 
describe but one of the articles to be seen there. In 
a golden casket studded with the finest gems may 
be seen some ancient holy relics given by one of the 
Greek Emperors of Constantinople. Among them 
there is a fragment of stone from the tomb of Christ, 
and a bit of wood from the cross. The elegance and 
richness of the casket will remind the antiquary 
of the receptacle of the tooth of Buddha, which 
was formerly preserved at Kandy, the capital of 
Ceylon. 

This relic was kept in a golden casket incrusted 
with the finest gems. This was also encased in four 
other boxes, all of which were studded with precious 
stones of enormous value, and forming together a 
priceless reliquary to which none of the shrines of 
civilized countries could offer an equal in comparison, 
not excepting that of the famous Virgin of Loretto in 
Italy. 

In the great hall devoted to the collection of arms 



142 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

and armor may be seen a great number of articles 
highly interesting to the antiquary and historian. 
Arms and armor of all periods from Europe and 
Asia are represented here, — the plain steel-clad 
vestments of the Crusader ; the richly chased and 
inlaid coats of mail of the knights of mediseval 
times ; the light defences of the Persian and Saracen 
horsemen, glittering with those gems which were 
supposed to possess the power of averting fatal mis- 
siles ; the casques of the Circassian mountaineers, 
brilliant with barbaric decorations ; scimetars, buck- 
lers, scabbards, and a great variety of other arms, 
resplendent with the most beautiful of the rarest and 
most precious stones. 

There is also a most costly and unique collection 
of saddles and horse-gear to be seen. These are 
mostly presents of Emperors of Constantinople in 
early times, and from Grand Turks and Persian 
Shahs of later periods. Some of these are of great 
value and contain gems of historic interest. Their 
decorations are profuse ; and the bits, curbs, bridles, 
headstalls, and, in fact, all portions of the' trap- 
pings that will admit of the setting of precious 
stones, are literally incrusted with splendid gems, 
forming stars, suns, and various ornaments of gro- 
tesque shapes. 

In one of the rooms of the Winter Palace at St. 
Petersburg are deposited many of the jewels of the 
Empire, and especially those required in the court 
ceremonies. 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 143 

Among them may be seen the beautiful crowns 
and coronets of the late Emperor and Empress. The 
crown of the Emperor is of magnificent workman- 
ship, and dazzles the eye with the splendor of its 
gems. In outline it resembles the dome-formed pa- 
triarchal mitre, which was a favorite shape among 
the Byzantines. Upon the summit appears a cross 
formed of five beautiful diamonds, which is also sup- 
ported by a large spinel ruby, polished, but not 
faceted. This ruby and cross are supported by a 
foliated arch composed of eleven great diamonds and 
rising from the back and front of the base of the 
crown. On either side of this central arch is at- 
tached a hoop formed of thirty-eight large and per- 
fect pearls. The spaces on either side of these arches 
are filled with leaf-work and ornaments in silver, 
•in crusted with diamonds underlaid with the richest 
purple velvet. The band which forms the base of 
the crown is of gold, and is ornamented with twenty- 
eight magnificent diamonds. 

The coronet of the Empress is thought to be the 
most beautiful collection of diamonds ever presented 
to the view in a single ornament. It is composed of 
four very large diamonds of the purest water, and 
eighteen others of slightly smaller size, together with 
a multitude of lesser diamonds of exquisite water. 
The flash of these beautiful gems reminds the ob- 
server of a collection of rainbows. 

Among the other regalia of this collection may be 
seen the most remarkable necklace of diamonds in 



144 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Europe. In the links which form, the chain are 
twenty-two huge brilliants of great value, and, as 
pendants to the connecting chain, fifteen other dia- 
monds of surprising size appear, forming an ornament 
of great beauty. 

In this room may also be seen the plume of 
Russia's great general, Suvaroff. It is an aigrette 
composed entirely of diamonds of wonderful lustre, 
and was the gift of the Sultan of Turkey, 

Among the curiosities preserved here are the Order 
of Saint Andrew, mounted with five pink diamonds ; 
also two of the famous Siberian beryls, — one green, 
the other blue, — surrounded in their settings with 
diamonds. 

In the museum of the Hermitage, adjoining the 
Winter Palace, may be seen one of the finest and 
largest collections of gems in the world. It is com- 
posed of choice selections from some of the most 
celebrated cabinets that have been formed in Europe 
during the past two centuries, and comprises the bet- 
ter portions of those known as the collection of the 
Duke of Orleans (Philippe Egalite), that of the famous 
Strozzi, and that of the Beverly, which had been 
formed under the direction of the learned antiquary 
Dutens. The cabinet is not only extremely valuable 
in its art treasures, in the form of engraved gems 
and cameos^ancient, mediceval, and modern, but it is 
a noble monument of the good taste and liberality of 
the sovereigns of Russia, The description of these 
alone would require a ponderous volume. 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 145 

In another gallery in the same palace may be seen 
the plume of Prince Potemkin, glittering with gems 
of the purest ray, presented to him by the Sultan of 
Turkey; also the two magnificent bouquets of arti- 
ficial flowers composed of the finest colored dia- 
monds, topazes, pearls, sapphires, rubies, and other 
gems, tvhich rival in their hues the most beautiful of 
the productions of the vegetable kingdom ; the iden- 
tical parrot which was carved from a single emerald, 
and given by King Pedro II. of Portugal, to his 
bride, the Princess of Savoy ; together with a vast 
number of priceless objects of virtu of various ages, 
many of them profusely decorated with interesting 
and valuable gems. The Hermitage, like the Green 
Vaults at Dresden, is one of the jewel-boxes of the 
civilized world. 

In the museum of the School of Mines at St. 
Petersburg may be seen the finest collection of the 
gems in their natural and rough condition in the 
world, not even excepting the magnificent collections 
of the British Museum, or that of the Jardin des 
Plantes in Paris. The glittering treasures of Siberia 
are here displayed in lavish profusion. Natural 
crystals of diamond, of chrysoberyl, of topaz, beryl, 
and emerald attest, by their beautiful forms, the great 
mineral wealth of that vast country. The crystals 
of emerald are enormous and exceed in size all 
others in the world. The topazes are unsurpassed 
in their beauty and variety of tints. The collection 
of beryls is truly wonderful, and contains specimens 

10 



146 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of exquisite color and of great value. They may be 
seen not only of green, blue, white, and yellow, but 
even pink, which is an exceedingly rare hue for this 
mineral. The cabinet of tourmalines is superb, and 
nobly illustrates the beauty and variety of colors and 
forms of that wonderful mineral. 

In the arsenal of the Alexander Palace may be 
seen a curious and valuable collection of arms and 
armor of all ages, and among them many ornaments 
beautifully worked in precious stones. Prominent 
among them are the two sets of horse-gear which 
came as presents from the Sultan of Turkey. The 
first is a souvenir of the conclusion of that peace 
which was signed at Adrianople when the Cossacks 
had passed the barriers of the Balkan Mountains and 
almost clutched the long-coveted prize of Istamboul 
in their grasp. It is superb in its construction, with 
its mountings and stirrups of gold, and its velvet 
trappings studded with flashing diamonds. But the 
second saddle is even far superior in its ornaments 
and its effects to the first. It is indeed a glorious 
specimen of Persian handicraft and ornamentation, 
and worthy of one of the heroes of the Arabian 
Nights. It fairly glitters with the multitude of dia- 
monds of which it is composed, and some of which 
are of great size and wondrous lustre. It is indeed 
a barbaric mine of wealth. 

This costly present was given to the Czar by the 
Sultan after the fatal battle of Konieh, when the 
Porte supplicated Russia to send an auxiliary force 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 147 

to defend a tottering throne against the attacks of a 
rebellious vassal. 

Many of the cathedrals, convents, and monasteries 
of Eussia are richly endowed with gems and jewels 
of great beauty and value. In the Kazan Cathedral 
at St. Petersburg may be seen the miraculous image 
of the Virgin brought from Kazan in 1579. It is 
covered with gold, and incrusted with diamonds 
and other gems. The sacristy of the Monastery 
of Solovetsk is one of the richest in the realm, 
and is filled with jewels and gems which have 
been presented in times past by kings, princes, and 
nobles. 

In the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, in 
Moscow, there are some ancient reliquaries adorned 
with gems of remarkable beauty. The diamonds, 
however, are surpassed by the magnificent emeralds. 

In the sacristy of the Holy Synod in Moscow are 
preserved some wonderful sacerdotal robes and orna- 
ments. One of the sakkos of crimson velvet is so 
heavily laden with diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds, 
etc., that its weight amounts to fifty-four pounds. 
The great mitre is also so studded with gems, such 
as the finest diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and 
sapphires, that it weighs five and a half pounds. 
The decoration of these sacred objects has been made 
by lavish hands and from an abundance of the most 
costly materials. 

The famous Convent of Troitza possesses rare and 
beautiful gems and jewels among its gifts and reli- 



148 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

quaries, which are well worthy of examination by 
dilettanti. From a great variety of sources these 
riches have accumulated. The shrine has been 
famous for many centuries past; and czars, princes, 
boyars, and peasants have deposited their' offerings 
both in ostentation as well as with the hope of divine 
dispensation. 

Its treasury is indeed a colossal jewel-box, whose 
wealth must amount to many millions in value, and 
which rivals, if it does not surpass in richness, the 
famous shrine of Loretto in Italy. The variety of 
articles decorated with gems exhibited here is mar- 
vellous. Art has made use of the precious stones 
in her decorations with lavish hand. Some of the 
frames in which are set sacred pictures are liter- 
ally composed of gems of the largest size and also 
costly in price. Even the robes of the Madonnas 
are spangled with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, to- 
pazes, and emeralds, forming the richest mosaics. 

It is impossible, from the imperfect information we 
have received from travellers concerning this wonder- 
ful museum of ancient and mediaeval art, to give an 
accurate account of its treasures ; but we hope some 
of the learned antiquaries of Western Europe may 
be induced to examine them, and make known their 
history. Among the great numbers of engraved gems, 
skilled search may reveal some of the most beautiful 
forms of ancient art, and supply some of the missing 
links in glyptic history. 

According to these vague accounts a volume might 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 149 

be written on the description of the armoires, among 
which are comprised Bibles, Gospels, liturgical books, 
bound with covers of silver gilt and incrusted with 
precious stones, such as the onyx, sardonyx, agate, 
chrysoprase, aqua-marinas, lapis lazuli, malachite 
turquoise. The clasps of these volumes are made 
of gold or silver, in which antique cameos are set. 
Among the sacred utensils and relics are described 
chalices of gold belted with rows of diamonds, and 
a great variety of vessels richly ornamented; also 
crosses studded with beautiful emeralds and rubies ; 
sapphire rings ; vases and chandeliers of silver ; dal- 
matics of brocade embroidered with flowers composed 
of gems, and with legends in old Sclavonic, written 
in pearls ; enamelled censers ; triptychs storied with 
countless figures. Besides these articles we have 
enumerated, the museum contains a great number 
of others, including images of saints and Madonnas 
richly decorated, masses of precious metals, and heaps 
of precious stones in their natural state. What a 
glorious field of study for the amateur and the historian 
is presented here ! 

Among the paragons possessed by the Crown is the 
diamond known as the Orloff, which derives its name 
from one of the counts of that celebrated family, who 
purchased it for the Empress Catherine. It is one 
of the finest gems in the world, and is the largest in 
Europe. It rivals in beauty the famous Eegent of 
the Erench regalia, which it surpasses in size. The 
weight of this diamond is 194| karats, and it is ex- 



150 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

actly of the form of the famous diamond described by 
Tavernier as the Great Mogul. In shape it is ovoid, 
or rather,, in gem nomenclature, of a high-crowned 
rose-pattern. It is possible that this gem is the long- 
lost Mogul. Were it not for the remarkable accuracy 
of the distinguished French traveller, we should at 
once pronounce the Orloff to be the missing Mogul. 
Hence the question arises, may not Tavernier have 
made an error in his calculation of weight ? It is 
certainly very remarkable that two rare stones of such 
great weight, and such unusual form, should pos- 
sess so great and so many degrees of resemblance. 
And it may be possible that the Mogul diamond 
is concealed in some of the obscure fastnesses 
of Persia, and may appear again to the world, like 
the crown of Chosroes, after a thousand years of 
concealment. 

The Orloff disputes with the Eegent the claim of 
being the finest known gem in the universe. Both 
have their ardent admirers. The Eegent owes much 
of its fancied superiority to the regularity and perfec- 
tion of its form, which is that of a perfect brilliant, 
and may therefore be regarded as the type of the 
style. The Orloff, likewise, may be selected as the 
perfected model of the form known as the rose-cut. 
Therefore, either gem may be considered as the per- 
fection of the brilliant or the rose-style of cutting. 
The brilliant is certainly the most symmetrical of all 
the forms ; but does it enable the gem to exhibit to 
a full degree its powers of refraction ? It may ex- 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 151 

hibit the prismatic play of color in greater perfection ; 
but does not the rose-cut project brighter beams 
of light in a more extensive proportion than the 
brilliant? Let the opticians decide. 

The Orloff now adorns the Kussian sceptre, being 
placed in the top, just under the golden eagle. 

Concerning the history of the Orloff there is con- 
siderable obscurity, even in that which relates to the 
time and the manner in which it came into posses- 
sion of the Eussians. At all events, there is no doubt 
but it formed a part of the spoils of Delhi, and was 
brought to Persia, along with the Koh-i-noor and other 
gems, by the conqueror, Nadir Shah. Its subsequent 
history, however, is somewhat mixed up with other 
gems. Dutens relates a romantic story of its having 
formed one of the eyes of the great idol at Seringa- 
patam, and having been stolen by a French deserter, 
who managed to be installed as a priest and attached 
to the temple. Pallas, however, gives a totally dif- 
ferent version, which he is said to have derived from 
the son of the Armenian who sold the gem to the 
Eussians. This Armenian purchased the diamond 
from one of the Afghan generals, who formerly served 
with Nadir, and who received it as his share of the 
booty. But so far as we can learn, the gem was 
brought to Europe by the Earl of Effingham, who 
obtained it when Governor General of India. It 
frequently changed owners before it fell into the 
possession of the Greek merchant who took it to St. 
Petersburg and sold it to Prince Orloff. The price 



152 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

said to have been paid for it is given at $450,000, 
besides an annuity of $20,000 and a patent of 
nobility. 

The Shah is a remarkably irregular prism of slab 
of diamond, partially faceted by art. Tradition has 
associated with it adventures of a startling and bloody 
character. 

It was one of the gems possessed by Nadir Shah, 
and at the time of his death was received as booty 
and secreted by one of the assassins. Long after the 
event, an Afghan visited an Armenian by the name of 
Shafras, who lived at Bassora with his two brothers, 
and offered him a large diamond, an emerald, a ruby 
of fabulous size, a sapphire of wonderful beauty, 
together with a hundred other stones of less value. 
The stranger asked an insignificant price for these 
valuable gems, but the Armenian was not at the 
time able to furnish the means of purchase, and en- 
treated the Afghan to return at another time with 
his treasures. But suspicious of the good faith of the 
jeweller, the mountaineer departed and disappeared. 
Several years afterward the Armenian met, by chance, 
the Afghan at Bagdad, where the gems were sold 
to a Jew for 65,000 piastres. Shafras summoned 
his two brothers, and they assassinated the stranger 
and the Jew, and flung their bodies into the 
Euphrates. The brothers fled to the desert, and 
while attempting to divide their spoils fell into 
dispute. In the depths of night the elder brother 
slew his two companions in crime, and fled to Con- 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 153 

stantinople. From thence lie passed to Holland, and 
informed several of the Courts of Europe of his treas- 
ures. Catherine is said to have invited him to Eussia, 
but would not accede to his terms of purchase. . The 
Armenian, while at St. Petersburg, was induced by 
some of the courtiers to lead a life of dissipation, 
with the view of ultimately obtaining his treasures. 
But, soon perceiving the intentions of his associates, 
he secretly quitted the country, and was heard of no 
more for ten years, when by accident it was discovered 
that he was living quietly at Astrakhan. New over- 
tures were at once made to him by the Eussians, but 
he would not consent to meet the negotiators, except 
at Smyrna. At this city the purchase was finally 
made, and the Shah passed into the possession of the 
Muscovites for an immense sum of money, — said to 
be $650,000. 

Unfortunately for this romantic story, only the out- 
lines of which we have here given, it is now reported 
that Chosroes, the son of Abbas Mirza, presented the 
gem to the Emperor of Eussia. Another account 
states that it was purchased of Chosroes by the Eus- 
sian Government. At all events, no matter what its 
true history may be since the death of Nadir, it is a 
gem of the most perfect purity of color and freedom 
from blemish. Upon one of its sides an inscription 
in the Persian language has been engraved by some 
lapidary of extraordinary patience. Its weight is 
ninety-five karats. 

Many of the Eussian nobles possess fine diamonds, 



154 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

which are not well known to the public. "We know 
that the Princess Yassopouff owns the tine brilliant 
of forty karats called the Polar Star ; but what has 
become of the fine gem of ninety karats, which was 
cut for Russia by the French lapidary Jarlet, at the 
close of the seventeenth century ? 

While we are speaking of lost gems, we will call 
the attention of the reader to the large pear-shaped 
diamond of 157^ karats, which Tavernier bought at 
Amadabad in India, and brought to Europe on his 
return. This gem also has disappeared from history, 
and thus far evaded all attempts for its recovery. 
The history of all the large and famous diamonds 
brought to Europe would form a most interesting 
chapter, if some tireless antiquary could be induced 
to take up the subject and clear away the obscure 
wanderings of some of them. 

The history of Potemkin, as related by a recent 
writer, reveals an extravagance unequalled since the 
days of the Roman follies; and it reads in these 
sober times more like romance than reality. The 
Prince, when fully attired, wore a collar of the Order 
of Saint Alexander, which was the gift of the Em- 
press, and profusely ornamented with diamonds of 
the value of 60,000 roubles. A laurel wreath, which 
he wore on state occasions, also the gift of Catherine, 
was beautifully wrought in gold, and set with superb 
emeralds and diamonds which were estimated as 
worth 150,000 roubles. 

The picture presented by this bold favorite in his 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 155 

sunniest days, when, for instance, he assisted the Em- 
press to alight from her carriage, surpasses the display 
of Prince Esterhazy in later times. Orloff was then 
dressed in a scarlet coat, over which hung a long- 
cloak of gold lace extravagantly ornamented with 
precious stones of enormous value. In fact, his dress 
was completely covered with beautiful gems ; and 
his hat was so heavily laden with precious stones, 
that an aide-de-camp carried it for him when not 
in use. 

Catherine was not only passionately fond of belles- 
lettres and the arts, but she had a generous heart 
withal, as evinced by the numerous gifts she bestowed 
upon her friends. The value of the gems and the 
jewels she gave to her favorites exceeds almost the 
bounds of belief, and far surpasses the munificence of 
any of the sovereigns of history. The total estimate 
of the worth of these gifts amounts to the enormous 
sum of 88,820,000 roubles. We will enumerate some 
of them. To Zoritz she gave diamonds of the value 
of 200,000 roubles. To Plato Zouboff, gems worth 
100,000 roubles. To Zawadoffsky, to Lanskoi, to 
Zermoloff, she presented caskets of diamonds of the 
value of 80,000 roubles each. Wasulitschikoff and 
Kozzakoff each received presents of the same precious 
stone, costing 60,000 and 50,000 roubles. The five 
brothers of the Orloff family, and especially Potemkin, 
received gifts amounting in value to many millions of 
roubles. To the famous house of Bariatinsky Cathe- 
rine gave many beautiful gems which are still pre- 



156 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

served among the treasures of the family. Among 
them is a splendid solitaire diamond with a pen- 
dant, which was given to one of the Princes at his 
baptism. 

Some of these jewels are of unique patterns and 
workmanship, and of immense value. Among them 
is a necklace of solitaires, each stone as large as the 
end of the thumb, with large pear-shaped pendants 
attached. There is also a bracelet of rude Persian 
art, made of beaten gold, and set with uncut crystals 
of diamonds, thus indicating a very ancient origin, 
or singular caprice on the part of the maker. 

There are still preserved among the princely fami- 
lies of Eussia, as well as in the Eoyal casket, many 
diamonds yet in their rough and crystallized forms, 
or imperfectly cut in the Oriental and ancient man- 
ner. 

The remarkable soldier, Suvaroff, although care- 
less of his dress and his personal appearance, was 
passionately fond of jewels. And the allied sov- 
ereigns of Europe, learning of his love of the 
beautiful, sent him several superb gems, among 
which was a large diamond of great beauty, from 
the Empress Catherine. 

Like Charles le Temeraire, the terrible Cossack 
carried his gem treasures with him during his cam- 
paigns ; and he took infinite delight in examining 
their charms, in times of danger and fatigue. They 
were of various kinds and of great value ; but the 
one he prized the most was the gift of . the Czarina. 



RUSSIAN REGALIA. 157 

This splendid gem he always reserved for the last 
look, after toying with the others ; and seemed fasci- 
nated with the strange gleams of the prismatic dis- 
play, as the stone was viewed in the dim and 
flickering light of the camp-fire. 

"What a picture is presented of the grim and fear- 
less veteran, deriving a gleam of comfort from his 
treasures during that lonely bivouac on the summit 
of the high Alps, in Switzerland, on that fearful 
night in 1799, when the victorious French, under 
Lecourbe, forced the Tatar general, with his twenty- 
four thousand desperate soldiers, and with terrible 
losses, over the desolate and rarely trodden pass of 
the Kenzig Culm ! 



158 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTEK VIII. 

FRENCH REGALIA. 

Previous to the time of the French Eevolution, 
and commencing from periods dating back beyond 
mediaeval days, France had accumulated a casket of 
gems and jewels of extraordinary richness and value. 
The amateur may form an idea of their beauty and 
magnificence, from the famous report made to the 
French Assembly by M. Delattre in 1791. In this 
list there were enumerated with special care, 9,547 
diamonds, 506 pearls, 230 rubies, 134 sapphires, 150 
emeralds, 71 topazes, 3 Oriental amethysts, 8 Syrian 
garnets, and 8 other stones not designated. 

The estimated value of these treasures, together 
with the bijou and mounted parures belonging to 
the Crown, amounted to nearly thirty million francs. 
From this carefully arranged inventory, we have 
made the following selection, which will be inter- 
esting to the reader at the present day, as not only 
showing the estimated worth of the gems at that time, 
but also describing some of the fine gems whose 
history has since been lost. 



FRENCH REGALIA. 



159 



1 A brilliant diamond called Le Regent 

2 A diamond cut in facets, perfect in lustre and bril- 

liancy, called Le Sancy 

3 Diamond cut in facets 

4 A brilliant diamond 

5 A pear-shaped diamond, of a peach-blossom hue . . . 
6^. diamond called the Mirror of Portugal 

7 Pear-shaped diamond, of a yellowish cast 

8 Rose-colored diamond, with flaws 

9 An olive-shaped diamond, clear 

10 A brilliant, of a greenish cast, and flawed 

11 A pale wine-colored brilliant 

12 A steel-colored brilliant 

13 Brilliant, cloudy 

14 The 10th Mazarin, cloudy 

15 A brilliant, of peach-blossom hue 

16 A fine white brilliant 

17 A brilliant, of peach-blossom hue 

18 Brilliant 

19 A brilliant, of brownish hue 

20 A brilliant, of yellowish hue 

21 A brilliant, of brownish hue 

22 Brilliant, of yellowish cast 

23 Brilliant, of peach-blossom hue 

24 l'ale-blue brilliant 

25 Brilliant, of brownish hue 

26 AVhite brilliant 

27 15 brilliants (of unknown weight) 

28 54 brilliants, each from 

29 227 brilliants, each from 

30 1,631 small diamonds, together 

31 12 diamonds, rose-cut and flawed 

Royal State Dress, White Parure. 

32 12 brilliants, each from 

and 163 smaller ones 

33 The Order of St. Esprit, 9 brilliants, each from 

and 286 smaller ones 

34 The Epaulette, composed of- 12 brilliants, each 

35 The Croix du Cordon, 6 large brilliants and 143 

smaller diamonds 

Colored Parure. 

35 A rich sky-blue brilliant 

37 Pale-blue brilliant 

38 Croix du Cordon, 13 large brilliants, 362 smaller. . . 

39 Epaulette, 9 large brilliants, 197 smaller 

40 Epee de diamonds, 2,189 rose cut diamonds 

41 Diamond buttons, large and small 

42 Other diamonds of various qualities 



Weight. 



Value. 



k. 


fr. 


136i| 


12,000,000 


88}} 


1,000,000 


28fs 


250,000 


26}| 


150,000 


24-if 


200,000 


*lft 


250,000 


201-j 


65.000 


2011 


48,000 


1818 


85,000 


18H 


20,000 


18l 9 B 


75,000 


17& 


18,000 


17 


50,000 


16 


50,000 


14.1* 


25,000 


14ft 


150,000 


HM 


30,000 


13^g 


60,000 


13t 8 b 


35,000 


1118 


15,000 


11 IS 


10,000 


Ht% 


15,000 


Ufa 


10,000 


10 r 7 B 


30,000 


10i 4 B 


25,000 


10 


30,000 




833,000 


5 to 10 


756,000 


lto5 


332,700 


425 


77,228 


84 


82,700 


2 to 20 1 


413,000 


7 to 14 1 


324,000 


3 to 19 


306,000 




200,000 


67& 


3,000,000 


31ft 


300,000 




10,000 




47,000 


400 


329,075 


552 


294,851 




315,000 



160 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

This magnificent and matchless collection was 
mysteriously stolen in September, 1792, and many 
of the fine gems have not been recovered. Neither 
has time yet divulged the authors of this bold theft, 
nor explained clearly the motives that led to the act. 
The circumstances connected with this celebrated 
robbery are interesting although obscure. They are 
as follows : — 

After the fearful and bloody scenes of the 10 th 
of August and the 2d of September, fears were en- 
tertained by the Eepublican chiefs concerning the 
safety of the public treasures. Therefore the build- 
ing which contained the gems was closed to the 
public ; and the Commune of Paris, representing the 
domain of the State, placed its seals upon the apart- 
ments wherein were placed the crown, sceptre, the 
golden wreath left by Cardinal Kichelieu to Louis 
XIII., and a great number of gems and bijou. On 
the morning of the 17th of September M. Sergent 
and two other Commissioners of the Police per- 
ceived that during the night thieves had entered the 
halls of the Garde Meuble by scaling the colonnade 
from the side of the Place Louis XV., and opening 
the windows on that side. They had broken the 
seals, picked the locks, and, after removing many of 
the inestimable treasures, had disappeared, without 
leaving a trace of their flight. 

The city was thrown into consternation at the 
boldness of the act and the magnitude of the rob- 
bery. Active and untiring search was at once made, 



FRENCH REGALIA. 161 

but not a trace of the plunder nor the least clew to 
the perpetrators could be obtained. 

Not long after, however, an anonymous letter re- 
vealed the information that a part of the spoil was 
then secreted in a ditch beside one of the alleys of 
the Champs d'Elysees. Sergent, with his colleagues, 
hastened to the spot indicated, and found there the 
Eegent diamond and the magnificent agate cup then 
known as the Chalice of Abbe Suger. 

Search was thus stimulated to further exertions, 
but without avail and twelve years passed without 
affording the least clew to the robbers. At this 
time a forgery was committed upon the Bank of 
Trance, and several persons were arrested for the act. 
Among them was a veteran soldier who had formerly 
served in the Pandours, and who was called by his 
comrades " Baba." 

When arraigned before the court, Baba made 
the following singular confession after betraying his 
accomplices in the forgery : " This is not the first 
time," he exclaimed in an excited manner, "that 
my confessions have been useful to society; and if 
you condemn me I shall implore the clemency of 
the Emperor. Without me Napoleon would not be 
on the throne, for it is to me alone the success of 
the battle of Marengo is due. I was one of the 
robbers of the Garde Meuble. I aided my accom- 
plices to bury in the ditch in the Champs d'Elysees 
the Eegent and the other objects which, being easily 
recognized, would have led to detection. Upon the 

ll 



162 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

consideration of a promise which has been perfectly 
kept, I revealed this hiding-place. The Eegent was 
found; and, gentlemen of the court, you are not 
ignorant of the fact that the magnificent diamond 
was placed in the hands of the Dutch by the First 
Consul to procure the funds which were so much 
needed after the 18th Brumaire." 

Baba was nevertheless condemned to the galleys, 
but the sentence was not enforced, and shortly after- 
wards he was sent to the prison in the Bicetre, where 
he remained until he died. Nothing further than 
this was ever made known publicly, but suspicions 
of complicity in the robbery were directed towards 
the Orleans family. 

Napoleon, when crowned as Emperor, and with 
the wealth of Europe at his command, made great 
efforts to restore the National regalia to their former 
beauty and value. The various countries of Europe 
were ransacked for the lost gems ; and it is stated 
that a number of them were recovered. Great num- 
bers of other gems were also bought and added to 
the Eegalia; so that in 1810 the inventory of the 
Crown exhibited a list of 37,393 precious stones. 

The changes of the one hundred days and the 
Eestoration left the National property untouched. 
Under the reigns of Louis XVIII. and Charles X. 
additions were made, and the casket contained 
64,812 gems and precious stones of all kinds. The 
inventory of 1849 presented the same number of 
articles, with a total valuation of over twenty mil- 



FRENCH REGALIA. 163 

lions of francs, without estimating the value of the 
bijou. 

There must have been a large augmentation during 
this time, for the present which Louis XVIII. ordered 
to be made deducted from the collection diamonds 
of the value of three quarters of a million of francs. 
This* costly present was in the form of the Order of 
Saint Esprit and constructed of superb diamonds. 

Of the robbery of 1792, the Sancy diamond and 
the unique blue one of sixty-seven karats have never 
been recovered. Since the inventory of 1810 two 
beautiful gems have also disappeared. One of these 
was the magnificent opal which Josephine wore, 
and which was known as the Burning of Troy. 
The other was the beautiful brilliant of thirty-four 
karats which was obtained by M. Elias for Napoleon. 
This was the much-loved gem which the Emperor is 
said to have carried with him on his person, and 
which was asserted to have been lost in the rout at 
Waterloo. 

The magnificent blue diamond, which was regarded 
as one of the marvels of the mineral kingdom, has 
never been recovered. Its early history has also 
been lost, but the gem is believed to be the identical 
stone which Tavernier brought from India and sold 
to Louis XIV. At that time it was described as a 
gem of a beautiful violet hue, but of a bad form, 
being fiat and thin. Its weight in this condition was 
112^ 6 karats, which would probably afford a fine 
brilliant of the size of the missing stone, 67 T 2 g karats. 



164 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

History has failed to trace the wanderings of this 
gem since its departure from the Louvre, but sus- 
picion rests upon the superb blue diamond which 
was in the possession of the English banker, the 
late Mr. Hope. However, the English diamond 
weighs but 44J karats. Therefore a loss of quite 22 
karats was incurred in recutting the stone in order 
to escape detection. 

The Eegent diamond, which was found uninjured 
in the ditch of the Champs d'Elyse'es, is in reality 
the most beautiful diamond yet known in the world. 
It is not the largest, but it is the most perfect of all 
the paragons, being almost faultless in its trans- 
parency and purity, as well as in its exact and sym- 
metrical form. 

It derives its name from the fact that it was 
purchased and added to the French casket by the 
Eegent of France. This magnificent gem was found 
in the diamond mines of Puteal, about one hundred 
and thirty-five miles from the city of Golconda. It 
weighed in its natural condition four hundred and 
ten karats, but during the process of cutting it 
was reduced to 136^|- karats. A Parsee merchant 
by the name of Jamcund, who was a famous col- 
lector of diamonds, obtained possession of the stone 
and brought it to Madras, where he sold it to 
the English Governor, William Pitt, for $60,000. 
Pitt brought the stone safely to London, and, after 
having had it cut, offered it for sale. The Eoyal 
House of England declined to invest in the gem ; but 



FRENCH REGALIA. 165 

after long negotiations the Duke of Orleans, Eegent 
of France .during the minority of Louis XV., pur- 
chased it in 1717 for the sum of 3,375,000 francs. 
Seventy-four years afterwards a commission of ex- 
perts reckoned its value at 12,000,000 francs, and 
even this enormous sum is exceeded by the valua- 
tion of the present day. 

Napoleon, after establishing his fortunes, redeemed 
the Eegent from the Dutch bankers, and had it set 
in the handle of the sword of state. Since then it 
has been removed and so arranged in its setting as 
to be placed at will either in the crown or used 
separately. 

To the historian this beautiful gem is singularly 
interesting, for it has indirectly exercised a mighty 
influence upon the destinies of Europe and the prog- 
ress of civilization. It was of infinite aid to Napo- 
leon after the 18th Brumaire ; and probably with- 
out the help of the little glittering pebble as a 
collateral for the Dutch loan, the decisive battle of 
Marengo never would have been fought. And it is 
no less certain that William Pitt, England's Pre- 
mier, never would have been the leading statesman 
of Europe had not his grandfather acquired the 
diamond in India and established the prosperity of 
his family by its sale. Pitt was the master of Euro- 
pean politics ; and even after his life was crushed 
out by the defeat at Austerlitz, the heritage of his 
genius and his hate was apparent in every coalition, 
every blow, against Napoleon that finally culminated 



166 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

at Waterloo. Therefore, in reviewing the history 
of the Eegent diamond, the philosopher might be 
tempted to say that it was to the same gem, by a 
singular fatality or caprice of fortune, the " Great Cap- 
tain " indirectly owed his success and his downfall. 

The jewels belonging to the Crown of Trance, as 
collected and restored by Napoleon, and increased by 
the good taste of the succeeding rulers of the country, 
are of great beauty and value. It is, indeed, one of 
the finest collections of Europe. The casket, at the 
present time, contains sixty perfect diamonds, varying 
in weight from 25 to 28 karats, besides the splendid 
and matchless Eegent. The actual crown displays 
eight great diamonds of the purest water, weighing 
from 19 to 28 karats each, besides the Eegent, which 
may be adapted at will. 

During the Universal Exposition at Paris, in 1855, 
the jewels of the Crown were displayed to the public. 
Many of the gems were mounted for the occasion in 
new parures ; and the arrangement presented one of 
the most charming exhibitions ever seen in civilized 
countries. 

We will now turn to the history of one of the lost 
diamonds of the Crown, and relate the facts and hy- 
potheses concerning it as fully as we have been able 
to collect them. They form, indeed, a perplexing 
theme. 

The beautiful diamond inventoried as the Sancy, 
and of the weight of 33^-f karats and valued at 
1,000,000 francs, was also stolen and never recovered. 



FRENCH REGALIA. 167 

This gem has been associated with the fortunes of the 
redoubtable Burgundian warrior, Charles the Bold; 
and its history has done more to perpetuate his name 
than the record of all his misdeeds and his desperate 
battles. To prove, however, that this is the identical 
gem lost to the Swiss will be a difficult task ; for the 
antiquaries have unearthed more Sancy diamonds than 
there were " Eichmonds in the field." The name of 
Sancy has, indeed, become famous by embracing in 
one story the fortunes of three distinct gems. 

The erudite King has patiently traced out the tra- 
ditions connected with the name of Sancy, and ap- 
pears to prove that three stories instead of one are 
included in the history of Baron Sancy. But the 
stone that was stolen from the French casket in 1792 
is inventoried at the weight of 33^| karats, while 
the gem that has lately gone back to India, and is 
supposed to be the stolen gem, weighs quite 54 karats. 
Here is a new mystery for the antiquaries to clear 
away ; or did Delattre and his associates, who made 
out this inventory with exceeding care, write 33 
instead of 53 ? 

The histories of these diamonds are so interesting 
that we will attempt to repeat them here, follow- 
ing, in part, the views of Mr. King. Not long 
after the invention, by Berquen, of diamond-cutting 
by the process of abrasion, Charles the Bold, then 
in the full blaze of martial glory, submitted to him 
three large rough diamonds. The native of Bruges 
succeeded so well in polishing them, that Charles 



168 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

presented him with the princely sum of 3,000 
ducats. 

One of these gems Charles gave to Pope Sextus 
IV., and it was mounted in the Tiara, where it is said 
to remain. The second was presented to Louis XI. 
of France ; while the third was reserved by the Bur- 
gundian hero, and set in a grotesque manner to he 
worn as a personal ornament. 

This jewel, of true barbaric design, was formed of 
a triangular shape, with the newly cut diamond in 
the centre. This diamond was -| of an inch in its 
widest diameter, and was shaped as a pyramid, with 
the apex cut into a four-rayed star in relief. Around 
the gem were set three large Balais rubies and four 
magnificent pearls, each more than half an inch in 
diameter. 

One of the Fugger family, in 1555, made a careful 
drawing of the jewel, with a written description of it, 
and these were afterwards published by Lambeccius 
in his Bibliotheca Ceesarea ; so there can be no doubt 
about the appearance of the original diamond of 
Charles the Bold in its early days. 

When the Duke led his band of freebooters into 
Switzerland on his long-projected foray, he took most 
of his gems along with him, not dreaming of disaster, 
and probably loving to view his treasures even amid 
the hardships of a campaign. Bough soldiers are 
sometimes as fond of the beautiful in art and nature as 
more delicate and refined organizations ; and Charles 
the Bold and Suvaroff are not the only examples. 



FRENCH REGALIA. 169 

The terrific onslaught of the Swiss at Grandson 
crushed the Burgundian ranks so quickly that Charles 
had only time to escape with his sword, leaving all 
his cherished treasures in the hands of the dauntless 
mountaineers. 

In Jthe sack of the camp which speedily followed 
the rout, a soldier found the golden box in which the 
famous pendant was kept, but regarding the jewel 
as a gaudy and worthless bauble, he tossed it away 
under a wagon, and retained the box only. Shortly 
afterwards he began to suspect that the contents of 
so beautiful a box must have some relative value, 
and returning to the place he recovered the despised 
jewel. He did not long retain his treasure, but sold 
it to a priest for one florin. The priest also did not 
appear to have a high regard for his purchase, for he 
disposed of it to the magistrates of his own canton 
for three francs. 

When it became known that the Bernese Govern- 
ment had possession of the Duke's famous jewels, 
Jacob Fugger, one of the members of the celebrated 
Nuremberg family, went to Bern and negotiated for 
their purchase. The famous pendant, together with 
the Duke's cap, which was made of silk covered 
with pearls and Balais rubies, and a plume case set 
with diamonds, pearls, and Balais rubies, were bought 
for the sum of 47,000 francs. Fugger retained the 
pendant in his possession at Nuremberg for many 
years, indulging in the hope, it has been said, that 
the Duke's great-grandson, the Emperor Charles V., 



170 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

would purchase it as a family relic. When the cele- 
brated capitalist died the ornament was still in his 
possession; but his great-nephew, who inherited the 
jewel, sold it to Henry VIII. of England. After the 
death of this monarch, his daughter presented the dia- 
mond to her bridegroom ; and thus, by a remarkable 
coincidence, and after an absence of seventy-six years, 
the royal gem is again restored to the rightful heir of 
its original owner. So far the history of Sancy No. 1 
can be clearly traced. 

Now for the stories relating to the Saucy diamond 
No. 2. But, before proceeding further in this inter- 
esting and misty search, we will explain the history 
of the nobleman who has inseparably connected his 
name with so many gems. 

Nicolas Harlai, Seigneur de Sancy, was of French 
descent, and the treasurer and intimate friend of King 
Henry IV. He had filled several positions of high 
responsibility, and served as ambassador to several of 
the Courts of Europe. He was also known as a man 
of culture, a lover of the fine arts, and an amateur 
in gems. 

In the year 1589, Baron Sancy is said to have 
obtained a large diamond from the Pretender to the 
Crown of Portugal, as security for a loan of one hun- 
dred thousand livres. The antiquaries have thus far 
failed to ascertain whence this gem was obtained; but 
it cannot be supposed that it was the identical jewel 
Philip II. of Spain had received from the English 
Princess, for the Spaniard was then the bitterest foe 



FRENCH REGALIA. 171 

of Don Antonio. Furthermore, Philip, when dying, 
in 1598, ten years later than the above-mentioned 
period, gave to the Infanta a diamond of great beauty 
saying that it once belonged to Queen Mary of Eng- 
land. At all events, it is quite certain that the French 
Baron had in his hands a large and valuable diamond. 

Not long after this acquisition, Henry IV. wished 
to engage the services of a select body of Swiss 
soldiers, to serve in his army ; and as security for 
the pay of these hirelings, he sent the gem by a 
trusty servant to Harlai, who was then in Switz- 
erland. The faithful valet, whilst on his way to 
Bern, was beset by robbers in the forests that con- 
ceal the entrance to the pass of the Dole, one of 
the mountains of the Jura. He managed to swal- 
low the diamond without being perceived by the 
bandits, before he was stripped and assassinated. 

The Baron, on learning the fate of his envoy, 
mistrusted that he had resorted to this expedient of 
concealing his treasure. He therefore sent a party 
of soldiers to the place, disinterred the body, and 
recovered the gem. It was immediately placed in 
the hands of the Jews of Metz, as security for a 
large sum of money ; and it is also related that the 
gem was never redeemed. Here ends the history 
of the second Sancy; and no further account of it 
can be found. 

Concerning the history of Sancy ISTo. 3, it is 
related that when Baron Sancy returned from Con- 
stantinople, where he had been as ambassador, 



172 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

he exhibited a large and beautiful diamond, which he 
had acquired for the sum of $120,000. This state- 
ment is somewhat obscure, from the fact that the 
ambassador was not Harlai de Sancy, but his son 
Achille, who was also sent on various missions by 
Eichelieu during the years 1626 to 1635. However, 
it is certain that a new diamond was imported into 
France by one of the Sancys, and that it was a re- 
markable gem. It was described as being of the 
form of an almond, faceted all over its surface with 
small facets, after the manner practised in India. 
The weight of this gem has been variously stated ; 
and these conflicting statements have served to 
increase the mystery concerning the Sancy gems. 
The weight of the diamond has been given as high 
as one hundred and twenty-six karats ; but Delisle 
assured Dutens that he saw M. Jacquemin, the 
Crown jeweller, weigh the gem, and that it did not 
exceed fifty-four karats. Nevertheless, the famous in- 
ventory of the French gems in 1792 gives 33^|- karats 
as the true weight of the famous Sancy diamond. 
How shall we explain this wide discrepancy ? 

Forty-two years after the death of the Baron, 
the diamond passed into the hands of Henrietta 
Maria, the queen-dowager of England, and subse- 
quently into the possession of James II. The un- 
fortunate king, while in exile, sold the gem to Louis 
IV. for the sum of $125,000 ; and here its history 
ends. 

During the latter part of the seventeenth century, 



FRENCH REGALIA. 173 

Eobert de Berquen, a descendant of the famous lap- 
idary, wrote his " Merveilles des Indes," and therein 
he describes the diamond brought from India by 
Baron Sancy, as then in possession of the Queen 
of England, and being almond-like in form, faceted 
on both sides, and of fifty-four karats in weight. 
This account agrees with those of the French jew- 
ellers, and serves to connect the history of the gem 
up to this period. 

Not many years after the bold robbery of 1792, 
a large diamond was acquired, by some mysterious 
means, by the widow of Charles IY. of Spain, who 
gave it to the notorious Prince of Peace Godoy. 
In 1838, Princess Paul Demidoff is said to have 
purchased it for half a million of roubles; and it 
is also certain that the Demidoff family sold it 
in 1865, to the Parsee millionnaire, Sir Jansetjee 
Jejeebhoy of Bombay, for $100,000. 

Now the question arises, which was the true 
Sancy ? And to settle the inquiry satisfactorily, 
will be a difficult task. From all these accounts, 
the reader may infer that there are three distinct 
diamonds included under the history of Sancy. The 
first is the diamond of the Duke of Burgundy, 
weighing, from its description, about thirty-three 
karats, and of a well-marked form. This gem is 
clearly traced to Philip II. of Spain. The second, 
which was of unknown weight, was last noticed in 
the hands of the Jews at Metz. The third was of 
the form of a brilliolette, and of fifty-four karats 



174 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

weight, and has lately returned to the land of its birth, 
with the honors of the name of Sancy. Which of these 
gems deserves the name of the Sancy diamond ? 

Madame de Pompadour, in the bright days of her 
prosperity, possessed some rare gems, but we can 
learn but little concerning them. Her will indi- 
cates that the beautiful ring containing white and 
rose-colored diamonds was given to the Duke de 
Goutaud, and also that the rare diamond of an aqua 
marine tint went to the Duke de Choiseul. 

After having referred to the political importance 
of the Eegent diamond, it may be proper for us to 
briefly mention the famous affair of the diamond 
necklace, which unjustly cast a stain upon the pres- 
tige of royalty in France, and ultimately exerted a 
certain influence, among other causes, that led to the 
downfall of the monarchy, and the fearful scenes 
that followed. The details of this daring scheme 
read more like romance than reality ; yet they are 
well substantiated in history. 

It appears that Bohmer, a jeweller of Paris, had 
collected, in 1784, a large number of beautiful dia- 
monds, with which he formed a magnificent neck- 
lace valued at 1,600,000 francs. The jewel had been 
offered to the Queen Marie Antoinette ; but she had 
declined the purchase as beyond her means at the 
time. Her regrets at her inability to obtain the 
splendid decoration reached the ears of Prince Car- 
dinal de Eohan, who was then living at Paris, in 
disgrace, for having divulged some court secrets 



FRENCH REGALIA. 175 

while lie was ambassador at Vienna. The Prince 
was not only handsome and conceited, but he was 
notorious for his gallantry and his follies. Unfortu- 
nately for himself and the court, he sought at this 
time to regain the favor of the Queen, and made it 
the grand object of his life. 

He had among his intimate acquaintances a bold, 
dashing woman by the name of Madame de la Motte, 
who pretended to be a countess of the family of Valois. 
She had married a man by the name of La Motte, 
who was intimate with the notorious quacks Villette 
and Cagliostro, who were then in the zenith of their 
fame. The Countess was well known in Paris as a 
woman of immorality and deeply versed in the arts 
of intrigue. 

She became acquainted with the facts of the 
Queen's admiration for the necklace and the infat- 
uation of Eohan for the Queen ; and upon these she 
arranged her scheme for duping the Prince and ob- 
taining possession of the property. She soon won 
the confidence of Eohan, and represented to him the 
Queen's intense longing for the necklace, and the 
favor he would gain in loaning the means which 
would enable her to obtain the coveted jewel and 
pay for it at her leisure. She promised, furthermore, 
through the aid of Cagliostro, to obtain an inter- 
view with the Queen on this subject. The prom- 
ised interview took place one night in August, 
1784, in the garden of Versailles; but the Queen 
was represented by a low character by the name 



176 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of D'Oliva, who was almost a counterpart of Marie 
Antoinette. 

Eohan was completely deceived, and agreed to pur- 
chase the necklace ; which he did not long after, 
giving his notes for half-yearly payments, and receiv- 
ing as security a bond from the pretended Queen, 
which, however, was forged by La Motte's husband. 
The Prince Cardinal then intrusted the jewel to 
the Countess for conveyance to the Queen ; but she 
passed it over to her husband, who lost no time in 
hurrying to London, where he immediately converted 
its gems into money. The Countess, however, did 
not hasten to join her husband, but remained at 
Paris, rejoicing in her audacity and good fortune, and 
with the hope of plucking more feathers from her 
princely victim. Nearly a year passed away before 
the secret was discovered. 

Bohmer, anxious for his pay, approached the King ; 
and the fraud was at once discovered. The Cardinal 
Prince was arrested just as he was about to perform 
mass before the court, and sent to the Bastile. After 
a short imprisonment, he was tried by a court of jus- 
tice, but acquitted of criminal offence. However, he 
was sent in disgrace to reside at an abbey of his in 
Auvergne. Madame la Motte paid dearly for her 
crime and her dalliance in Paris after the prize had 
been secured, for she was sentenced to be branded on 
the shoulders, scourged in public, and condemned to 
perpetual imprisonment. She bore her trials with 
fortitude, and had the good fortune to escape from 



FRENCH REGALIA. 177 

her prison in less than a year after her sentence. 
She joined her husband in London, and there pub- 
lished a bitter pamphlet against the French Court, 
and especially the Queen. It is generally supposed 
that the Countess died in London in 1791, either 
from a fever or the result of an accident caused by a 
drunken debauch. But a startling story comes from 
Eussia, giving another account of the last moments 
of this celebrated adventuress. 

It appears that the Emperor Alexander, disgusted 
with the conduct of three lady reformers who at- 
tempted to establish a revolution in religious opin- 
ion at St. Petersburg, banished them to the Crimea. 
They were Princess Galitzin, Madame de Krudener, 
and a mysterious personage who went by the name 
of Countess Gauchin. After death, which occurred 
during her banishment to the Crimea, the strange 
Countess proved to be the notorious De la Motte, 
who many years before had been publicly branded 
on the Place de la Greve in Paris. 

It would appear from statements in mediaeval 
history that necklaces were not much known in 
France, or at least were not in fashion, until the 
times of Charles VIII. For one of the earliest 
known in that country was that given by the above- 
named monarch to the beautiful Agnes Sorel. The 
uncut gems, which were of great beauty and value, 
weighed heavily upon the delicate neck and bosom 
of the fair creature ; and she complained of it to her 
lover as being an instrument of torture as well as a 

12 



178 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

decoration. The Kins - , fascinated with the charming 
effect of the gems, together with the natural entranc- 
ing beauty of the maiden, begged her to wear it, 
saying, with a supplicating smile, " One might surely 
bear, some little inconvenience to please those we 
love." 

The late Madame Thiers possessed a rare jewel, 
which came to her by inheritance, and which she 
wisely bequeathed to the Louvre collection. This 
jewel is a necklace of precious stones of the sixteenth 
century workmanship, and is regarded as without a 
rival in Europe except among the regalia preserved 
at St. Petersburg. 

There are a great many diamonds owned in France 
among the nobility, the landed proprietors, and the 
successful merchants. Paris has been for a long 
time the chief market in the world for the sale of 
the gem ; and most of the stones cut at Amsterdam 
find their way, primarily, to the Parisian bazaars. 
Many of these are taken as securities by the rich ; 
but the most of them are absorbed by the require- 
ments of fashion and the love of display. 

Adventurers, during the tide of success, prefer to 
invest their gains in gems, and especially diamonds, 
rather than in lands or bonds. There is a twofold 
reason for this preference. Great wealth can be 
concealed in a handful of gems which can be easily 
transported ; and the glitter of the stones adds vastly 
to the fascinations of the investment. Disastrous 
wars and commercial panics generally betray hoards 



FRENCH REGALIA. 179 

of this description ; and new sources of the precious 
stones are thus opened to commerce. It is reported 
that the Bonaparte family, since the disaster at Sedan, 
have thrown upon the market diamonds to the value 
of several millions of dollars. 



180 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTEK IX. 

THE KEGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 

The casket of gems belonging to the English Crown is 
not of ancient date, for the followers of Cromwell — 
iconoclasts and economists- — ordered all the ancient 
regalia to be sold. However, some of the finest of the 
gems were recovered not long after, and were used in 
the decorations of the coronation of Charles II. 

The present crown of England was made by Eng- 
lish artisans, in 1838, with gems taken from old dia- 
dems and others bought by Victoria. It is described 
by Professor Tennant as follows : — 

"The imperial state crown of Her Majesty, Queen 
Victoria/ was made in the year 1838, by Messrs. Rundell 
and Bridge, with jewels taken from old crowns, and 
others furnished by command of Her Majesty. It con- 
sists of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, 
set in silver and gold ; it has a crimson-velvet cap with 
ermine border, and is lined with white silk. Its gross 
weight is 39 oz. 5 dwts. Troy. 

" The lower part of the band above the ermine border 
consists of a row of 129 pearls ; and the upper part of the 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 181 

band, of a row of 112 pearls; between which, in the front 
of the crown, is a large sapphire [partly drilled] purchased 
for the crown by His Majesty, King George IV. At the 
back is a sapphire of smaller size and 6 other sapphires, 3 
on each side, between which ,are 8 emeralds. Above and 
below the 7 sapphires are 14 diamonds, and around the 8 
emeralds 128 diamonds. Between the emeralds and sap- 
phires are 16 trefoil ornaments containing 160 diamonds. 
Above the band are 8 sapphires surmounted by 8 dia- 
monds, between which are 8 festoons, consisting of 148 
diamonds. In the front of the crown, and in the centre 
of a diamond Maltese cross, is the famous ruby said to 
have been given to Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black 
Prince, by Don Pedro, King of Castile, after the battle of 
^Najara, near Vittoria, a.d. 1367. This ruby was worn in 
the helmet of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt, 
a.d. 1415. It is pierced quite through, after the Eastern 
custom, the upper part of the piercing being filled up by 
a small ruby. Around this ruby, to form the cross, are 
75 brilliant-diamonds. Three other Maltese crosses, form- 
ing the two sides and back of the crown, have emerald 
centres, and contain respectively 132, 124, and 130 bril- 
liant-diamonds. Between the 4 Maltese crosses are 4 orna- 
ments, in the form of French fleurs de lis, with 4 rubies in 
their centres, and surrounded by rose-diamonds, containing 
respectively, 84, 86, 86, 87 rose-diamonds. Erom the 
Maltese crosses issue 4 imperial arches composed of oak- 
leaves and acorns ; the leaves containing 728 rose, table, 
and brilliant diamonds ; 32 pearls forming the acorns, set 
in cups, containing 54 rose-diamonds and 1 table-diamond. 
The total number of diamonds in the arches and acorns is 
108 brilliant, 116 table, and 559 rose diamonds. From the 



182 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

upper part of the arches are suspended 4 large pendent 
pear-shaped pearls with rose-diamond cups, containing 12 
rose-diamonds, and stems, containing 24 very small rose- 
diamonds. Above the arch stands the Mound, containing 
in the lower hemisphere 304 brilliants, and in the upper 
244 brilliants ; the zone and arc being composed of 33 
rose-diamonds. The cross on the summit has a rose-cut 
sapphire in the centre, surrounded by 4 large brilliants and 
108 smaller brilliants." 

The value of this beautiful ornament has been esti- 
mated by Barbot, the French jeweller, at the sum of 
$600,000, which, however, is probably very far below 
its real value. 

The great prize and boast of the English treasures 
is the diamond called the Koh-i-noor, one of the spoils 
of the East India loot. 

From the many descriptions given of it and its 
real and supposed history, it is better known to the 
English reader than any other gem ; yet there are 
in Europe several diamonds of greater size and per- 
fection, and a number of gems of greater beauty, and 
certainly of a higher value. The Koh-i-noor is said 
to have been discovered in the mine of Gani, near Gol- 
concla, about the middle of the sixteenth century. It 
is thought by some to be a portion of the Great Mogul 
diamond ; but of the correctness of this view there is 
considerable doubt. 

The form in which it was found by the English 
at the time of capture certainly conveys the idea 
that it may have been cleft from a larger specimen ; 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 183 

but, according to Tavernier, the Great Mogul was 
ground down and not rifted by means of its cleavage 
planes at all. At all events, the gem, when it reached 
England, weighed one hundred and eighty-six karats, 
and its sides were polished and faceted in the Ori- 
ental manner, without regard to a symmetrical form. 
In this condition it was uncouth, it is true, but it 
was supposed to be the famous Koh-i-noor, "the 
mountain of light," of Eastern romance and history. 
Now, in its new shape, it is no longer one of the 
giants of its species, and the prestige which the 
Hindoos bestowed upon it has also vanished. The 
recutting of this gem, and the attempt to reduce its 
irregular form into the shape of a brilliant, was most 
unfortunate. It is now only a brilliant in name, and 
it is far too thin in substance to exhibit the beautiful 
and natural refractive powers of the mineral. 

In reality, the form of the brilliant should be cut 
according to mathematical laws ; and its depth and 
breadth must be of a certain fixed ratio to call forth 
the natural brilliancy and prismatic display of the 
stone. This relative degree of form and its wonder- 
ful results is well exemplified in the gems cut by 
Ealph Potter at the commencement of this century, 
who was, without doubt, the best diamond-cutter 
the world has seen. It is also laid down as a 
mathematical problem in the scale which Jeffries 
has prepared. 

The Koh-i-noor, before cutting, weighed one hun- 
dred and eighty-six karats ; and was the second dia- 



184 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

mond in Europe. It is now reduced to 102£ karats, 
with its splendors but little increased ; and is reck- 
oned as the fifth in size among the European dia- 
monds ; and, to our view, is inferior in value to man} 7 " 
of the diamonds of less size, and especially the green 
diamond of Dresden, or the blue of the Hope collec- 
tion. In fact, it is far exceeded in beauty and splen- 
dor by the imitations of art. The prestige has been 
injured, if not destroyed, by cutting; and its posi- 
tion among the great gems of the world reduced to a 
comparatively low degree, notwithstanding its great 
weight. 

No amateur will say that the gem has gained any 
advantage in cutting, when he sums up the arguments 
in favor of and against the operation. He will not 
say the Koh-i-noor, exhibited in the London exhibi- 
tion, was superior in all respects to the time-honored 
gem displayed among the crown jewels of the Tower 
of London a few years before. In reality, its appear- 
ance in the Crystal Palace was inferior to that of its 
glass models ; and a comparison of its form with the 
examples offered by Jeffries will at once show its 
imperfections. 

In its spread, as compared with that of a properly 
proportioned one-hundred-karat brilliant, it is quite 
one third too large ; or, in plainer language, it is now 
a badly shaped stone, and cannot display its latent 
splendors unless surrounded by a great number of 
wax candles. 

A comparison with the outlines of the Kegent will 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 185 

at once show the want of harmony in its shape 
so far as development of brilliancy and prismatic 
display are concerned ; and to obtain the display 
of these properties, without which the diamond is 
not much better than common limpid quartz, the 
form of the gem must be invariably of a certain 
size and depth. A lustreless mass of diamond, 
no matter how large it may be, is not a choice ex- 
ample of the mineral, in comparison with a smaller 
stone, radiant with its natural, or rather developed, 
beauties. Size alone, without special excellence, 
brings no charm with it, but rather places it 
among mineralogical curiosities. Therefore, we re- 
gret exceedingly the recent cutting of the Koh-i- 
noor, which has injured its prestige, and reduced 
its value incomparably. 

Had the lapidaries adopted the form of the Sancy, 
that is, the shape of the almond, with small facets 
all over it, a far greater brilliancy would have been 
obtained. Such is the opinion of Babinet and other 
connoisseurs, who are able to judge on this subject. 
The Koh-i-noor, before cutting, was submitted by 
Prince Albert to the examination of several eminent 
men, amongst whom was Sir David Brewster ; and a 
variety of opinions were expressed upon the subject. 
It is generally believed that ideas of fashion directed 
the shape of the stone to be adopted; and that if 
its form had been left to Coster, the model of the 
brilliolette would have been copied, and but little 
of the stone sacrificed in the cutting. However, it 



186 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

is too late to lament the accident or the error ; but 
we hope that the experience acquired will preserve 
other specimens for the admiration of art, although it 
availed nought in the case of the Star of the South, 
another stone admirably adapted for the exhibition 
of the beauty of the brilliolette model. This form, 
with numerous small facets, in both instances would 
have given more luminous points, and therefore pro- 
duced more splendid effects. 

Babinet properly exclaims against the mode of 
cutting the large gems with large facets, as thereby 
much of the glory of the gem is lost. Had the Ke- 
gent, even, been cut with smaller and more numerous 
facets, its splendors would have been greater. As we 
have previously stated, the most vivid play of light 
and color is exhibited in diamonds of about ten karats 
or less ; we may, perhaps, attribute the difference to the 
violation of some law in optics, as well as to the differ- 
ence in the laminae or substance of the larger stones. 

Babinet, in defence of his remarks on this interest- 
ing subject, states that the beautiful rainbow hues 
are produced by the light entering the upper surfaces 
of the gem, and, being reflected backwards from the 
bottom surfaces, is then refracted, after traversing the 
side facets. The white light is then decomposed into 
every variety of hue, the perfection of which depends 
upon the condition of reflection and refraction. If 
the facets are too large and the light too voluminous 
there is danger of neutralization of these colors, and 
that white light be reproduced. 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 187 

We doubt very much if this historic gem has been 
known to history for more than five hundred years. 
If it is, as it has been alleged, a part of the Great 
Mogul, its appearance among mankind dates from 
1550. Had it been known in the times when Tiniour 
so mercilessly attacked India, it could hardly have 
escap'ed the rapacity of the Tatar. And the history 
of this conquest, in the latter part of the fourteenth 
century, leads us to believe that all, or nearly all, of 
the great diamonds of Bengal have been discovered 
since that time. Had this gem been added to the 
Mogul treasury at Delhi in 1304, from the conquest 
of Malwa by Ala-ud-deen, it probably would have 
been known to Timour. The last Tatar invasion, in 
1736, under Nadir Shah, found the gem set in the 
turban of the Great Mogul, and it was carried away 
to Khorasan by the victorious host, together with all 
the fabulous wealth which had been garnered up 
during nearly four centuries of prosperity. From 
Nadir it was wrested by assassination, and passed from 
ruler to ruler, with strange vicissitudes, until the Sikh 
power succumbed to the arms of England ; when it 
passed, in 1850, with other treasures, from the strong- 
hold of Lahore to the jewel-chamber of Windsor 
Castle. 

Ill fortune has always attended the possession of 
this gem, it is said ; and certainly the reduction of the 
stone in the blind attempt to improve its brilliancy 
may be classed in this category. The Hindoos have 
always maintained that it inevitably brought ruin to 



188 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

its possessor; and surely, the history of the Mogul 
Empire, the reign of Nadir Shah, its conqueror, the 
Dooranee dynasty, and the rule of the Sikhs give 
strength to the plausibility of the tradition. In the 
chapter on the gems of Asia we shall again refer to 
this stone. 

England has had the opportunity, during her Indian 
conquests, of collecting the most magnificent parure of 
gems the world has seen. The pride of the French 
Crown, the matchless Eegent, was brought to London 
by the English Governor, Pitt, and offered to the 
Eoyal House ; the great Orloff, the boast of the Eus- 
sian regalia, was brought from India by an English- 
man, Earl Effingham ; and many other fine diamonds 
and gems from Hindostan have been brought within 
the reach of the English Crown before being offered 
elsewhere for disposition. The neglect to secure these 
beautiful and matchless treasures is inexcusable even 
in a commercial view, for a gem paragon is " an 
empire made portable." 

Among the diamonds brought from India by Eng- 
lishmen, the Pigott and the Nassac deserve some 
mention. 

The Pigott was a splendid gem of 47J karats, and 
derived its name from its importer. In 1801 it was 
placed in a lottery in London, and valued at $150,000. 
The lucky drawer of the prize was content to part 
with it for $30,000 to an English jeweller, who after- 
wards sold it to Ali Pacha of Egypt. The Egyptian 
prince conceived a strange attachment to the gem. 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 189 

He did not display it among the ornaments on his 
person; but concealed it in a silken bag which he 
attached to his girdle. The story goes that when 
Ali was mortally wounded by Eeschid Pacha he gave 
orders to have his favorite wife, Yasilika, strangled, 
and also commanded Captain D'Anglas to crush the 
diamond in his presence. A single blow of the ham- 
mer crushed to atoms this beautiful gem, which was 
really one of the finest in Europe on account of the 
perfection of its form and the absolute purity of its 
water. The model alone remains. The fascinating 
Vasilika by some means managed, to escape the 
sentence of death. 

The Nassac diamond was brought from India by 
the Marquis of Hastings, and formed a part of the 
Deccan booty. After passing through several owner- 
ships it was finally purchased by the Marquis of 
Westminster for about fifty thousand dollars. It 
has since been recut into a triangular form, and its 
original weight reduced from eighty-nine to about 
seventy-eight karats. In its new form it has gained 
vastly in lustre and brilliancy, 

The famous blue diamond known as the Hope 
diamond, from the fact that it belonged to one of 
the distinguished family of bankers of that name, is 
really one of the most valuable diamonds in Europe, 
for it is indeed one of the marvels of the mineral 
kingdom. Its weight is 44|- karats, but its history 
is unknown; and this obscurity leads to the suspicion 
it may be the lost gem of the French casket since 



/f 



190 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

reduced in size. It is now mounted as a medallion 
with a border of rose-cut diamonds and twenty bril- 
liants, each of one karat weight and of the finest 
water. 

This beautiful gem was shown to the public at the 
great Exhibition of 1851 in London, and the descrip- 
tion given of it by Mr. Hertz is worth repeating here. 
It is " a most magnificent and rare brilliant of a 
deep sapphire- blue, of the greatest purity and most 
beautifully cut : it is of true proportions, not too thick 
nor too wide-spread. This matchless gem combines 
the beautiful color of the sapphire with the prismatic 
fire and brilliancy of the diamond ; and on account of 
its extraordinary color, great size, and other fine 
qualities, it certainly may be called unique, as we 
may presume that there exists no cabinet nor any 
collection of crown jewels in the world which can 
boast of the possession of so curious and fine a 
gem. 

The value of this wonderful specimen of Nature's 
work has been variously estimated. It is under- 
stood that Mr. Hope paid but $65,000 for it, 
which is a mere bagatelle to its comparative worth. 
To our view this matchless gem should be valued 
as highly as any of the fine paragon diamonds 
of the world, and we do not include the Koh-i- 
noor as among this number. In this estimate we 
refer only to the comparison of actual merits and 
qualities, unbiassed by the whims of royalty or of 
fashion. 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 191 

A hundred years ago and. more the citizens of 
London, transported with joy over the victory at 
Culloden by the Duke of Cumberland, hailed the 
soldier as a hero and a deliverer, and presented him 
with a beautiful diamond. It was a splendid gem 
of thirfey-two karats weight, and cost the city the 
sum of $50,000. Not many years ago, however, 
the House of Hanover laid claim to the gem by 
reason of certain laws of inheritance ; and we are 
informed that Queen Victoria, after investigating 
the claim, ordered the gem to be given up to the 
claimant. 

Mr. Hertz, of London, in the course of his long 
experience collected a very costly, as well as unique 
and beautiful, collection of gems. His cabinet of 
diamonds, embracing almost every shade and color, 
rivalled in excellence the celebrated Wernerian cabi- 
net at Freiburg, and that of Abbe Haiiy at the 
Jardin des Plantes at Paris ; but was surpassed by 
that of Helmreicher now preserved in the Imperial 
Museum at Vienna. 

As the reader may be interested in the tastes of 
the English nobility in the good old times, we will 
look over a few of the pages of English history, and 
relate some of the incidents of court life, and de- 
scribe the appearance of some of the distinguished 
characters of different reigns. 

Eleanor of Provence exhibited great extravagance 
at her coronation as Queen of King Henry III., who 
was called the greatest fop of his time (1236). It 



192 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

was probably Eleanor who established the fashion of 
wearing chaplets of gold and gems over the hair. On 
the occasion of her coronation she had on no less 
than nine garlands or wreaths formed of gold and 
clusters of colored precious stones. She had, also, 
among her regalia, a great crown glorious with gems, 
and girdles radiant with the most beautiful specimens 
of the mineral kingdom. The wedding present from 
her sister, Queen Marguerite of France, was a large 
silver peacock, whose train was set with sapphires 
and pearls and other precious stones. It was used as 
a reservoir for perfumed waters. 

It seems that the old Crusaders were wont to deck 
themselves with gems ; and Provencal traditions de- 
clare that the first intimation Queen Berengaria had 
of the seizure of Eichard Cceur de Lion was the sale 
of a belt adorned with gems, which she knew he wore 
and would not part with except by violence. 

The coronation of Henry VIII. was attended with 
extraordinary splendor, and the King was arrayed 
with the finest gems that could be obtained. 

At the famous Tournament of the Cloth of Gold, the 
English and French nobility attempted to outshine 
each other in the magnificence of their dresses and 
decorations. And the vanity of the festival caused 
the financial distress or ruin of many a gallant 
knight. 

At the banquet at this time King Henry gave 
Anne Boleyn a beautiful jewel valued at 15,000 
crowns. 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 193 

When Bluff King Hal went to meet his bride, 
Anne of Cleves, he was arrayed so magnificently as 
to be likened by the wits of the time to the " king 
of diamonds." He wore a coat of purple velvet curi- 
ously embroidered with gold and lace. " The sleeves 
were cut, and lined with cloth of gold, and clasped 
with great buttons of diamonds, rubies, and Orient 
pearls ; his sword and girdle set with stones and 
special emeralds ; his cap garnished with stones, but 
his bonnet was so rich of jewels that few men could 
value them. Besides all this he wore a collar of such 
Balais rubies and pearls that few men ever saw the 
like." 

Henry demanded of Francis I. of France, the gems 
and jewels which had belonged to his sister Mary, . 
who had married Louis XII. Among them were a 
ruby two inches and a half long, some great pearls, 
and large diamonds, forming together a casket which 
the Earl of Worcester describes as the " goodliest and 
richest sight of jewels he ever saw." But they were 
never returned ; and Francis refused to allow the 
claim on account of the loss of the fine diamond 
known as the Mirror of Naples, and which he 
valued at 30,000 crowns. What this diamond really 
was, and its subsequent history, is still a matter of 
historical conjecture. 

Mary Queen of Scots, when married to the Dau- 
phin of France in 1558, was decked in a marvellous 
manner with all that art could afford at the time. 
Her crown was of exquisite workmanship, and was 

13 



194 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

composed of gold, with diamonds, pearls, rubies, and 
emeralds of immense value, having a huge carbuncle 
suspended in the middle valued at half a million 
crowns. Around her neck was hung the esteemed 
jewel known in Scottish history as the " Great 
Harry." The inventories of her property show that 
she possessed a large number of valuable gems. It 
seems that she lavished upon Bothwell, before they 
parted at Carberry Hill, jewels of more than $30,000 
in value. 

One of the most magnificent pageants known in 
English history was that celebrated by the wealth of 
England and illustrated with the poetry of Ben Jon- 
son, and which was the occasion of investing the 
eldest son of Queen Anne with the rights of the 
Prince of Wales, in 1609. The "Glorious Masque," 
which took place at this time, has never been ex- 
celled in England. The whole court of England and 
all the aristocratic beauties of the day were engaged 
in the event. The palace of Whitehall was trans- 
formed into a scene of enchantment under the hands 
of the best artists of the time, guided by the taste of 
Inigo Jones. This magnificent festival, characterized 
by so many beautiful and dazzling scenes, was the 
happiest in the life of Queen Anne of Denmark. 

A few years after this glorious celebration, which 
lingered in the memory of the participants like a 
golden dream, Queen Anne died ; and the King, on 
opening her coffers and cabinets, discovered that all 
of her beautiful gems and jewels had disappeared ; 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 195 

and notwithstanding the Queen's maid and attend- 
ants were arrested, and diligent search made in all 
directions, there is no evidence that even a trace was 
ever found of the missing treasure. No vestige was 
ever obtained of the jewels which Herri ck made for 
her, and which were worth nearly $200,000. 

When the Duke of Buckingham was sent to Paris, 
in 1625, to bring over to England Queen Henrietta 
Maria, he carried with him twenty-seven rich suits 
of clothing, as beautiful and valuable as the in- 
vention of the times could make them. The suit 
arranged for his entry into Paris was reckoned of 
a value of more than a quarter of a million of dollars. 
It was made of white satin and uncut velvet, set all 
over with diamonds. His spurs, hat-band, feather, 
girdle, and sword were all covered with diamonds. 
For the wedding day, at Paris, he had a suit of pur- 
ple satin, embroidered all over with Orient pearls, 
and a cloak to match, made after the Spanish fash- 
ion , all of the value of about one hundred thousand 
dollars. 

Charles I. had many fine gems and jewels at 
his disposal ; and, according to the documents still 
extant, he made free use of them. The very first 
year of his reign, he examined the contents of the 
jewel house, with a view of pledging them in the 
future ; and it is said that his queen, Henrietta, 
raised in one year ten millions of dollars on the 
royal jewels. The great collar of rubies was sold in 
Holland. 



196 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Charles, in the days of his prosperity, was an eager 
purchaser of gems and jewelry ; and a record is pre- 
served which shows that he bought in a year and a 
half, a quarter of a million dollars' worth of jewelry, 
and chiefly to use as gifts. It is also related that he 
bought the great diamond which Sir Paul Pindar 
brought home from Constantinople, and which he 
valued at $150,000. The subsequent history of this 
rare gem is to be placed among the mysterious 
things of the past. 

The queen of James II. was ornamented for the 
coronation in a manner that would have startled 
even Lollia Paulina ; and a half million dollars were 
expended in dressing her up. The diadem also was 
a wondrous piece of extravagance for the times, and 
cost more than five hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars. The historian of the times states that "the 
jewels she had on were reckoned at a million's worth, 
which made her shine like an angel." The exiled 
Queen, in the after years of her widowhood, said 
to the nuns of Chaillot, " My dress and royal mantle 
were covered with precious stones ; and it took all the 
jewels that the goldsmiths of London could procure 
to decorate my crown." 

When Queen Caroline was crowned as consort of 
George II., she made use of all the material she 
could find in London. And Lord Hervey exclaims 
that "the appearance and the truth of her finery 
was a mixture of magnificence and meanness not 
unlike the eclat of royalty in many other particulars, 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 197 

when it comes to be nicely considered, and its source 
traced to what money hires and flattery lends." For 
it is stated that she used upon her head all the 
pearls and necklaces she could borrow from the 
ladies of quality; and that she placed upon her 
petticgat all the diamonds she could hire of the Jews 
and jewellers in town. 

When Philip of Spain went to England to receive 
his bride, Queen Mary, the ceremonies on the occa- 
sion were conducted with great splendor. The King 
was accompanied by sixty of the most distinguished 
grandees of Spain, clad in royal array. He was 
dressed in a robe of rich brocade bordered with large 
pearls and diamonds. His trunk hose were of white 
satin worked with silver. He wore a collar of beaten 
gold full of inestimable diamonds, and from which 
hung the jewel of the Golden Fleece. Around his 
knee was the Garter, studded with beautiful gems of 
various colors. 

The daughter of Henry VIII. inherited her father's 
love for ornamental display ; and at the time of her 
marriage with Philip of Spain, she appeared mag- 
nificently arrayed. She is described as wearing a 
robe whose ample train was bordered with pearls 
and diamonds of immense size and value. The 
large sleeves were ornamented with clusters of gold 
set with pearls and diamonds. Her coif was bor- 
dered with two rows of large diamonds ; and she wore 
on her breast a splendid diamond of inestimable 
value, which Philip had sent her as a gift. Mary, 



198 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

on her death-bed, sent the most of her jewels to 
her sister Elizabeth of England; and King Philip 
added to them a casket of very beautiful gems. 

Elizabeth, when she became Queen of England, 
gradually acquired a passion for jewelry, which 
finally became absurd and grotesque. She possessed 
at one time two thousand dresses and an immense 
quantity of gems. The portrait of Queen Elizabeth 
at Henham Hall represents her in a blaze of jewels. 
She appears with an enormous ruff, which rose as 
a bird-like structure behind the fabric of jewels 
which adorned her head, until it overtopped the 
cross of her regal diadem. A rich collar of gold, 
woven in delicate filigree work, set with pearls, 
rubies, and amethysts, adorned her neck. The bodice 
of her dress was also ornamented with gold filigree 
set with many gems ; and the sleeves were profusely 
ornamented to match the bodice. Horace Walpole, 
in describing her portraits, says, " There is not one 
that can be called beautiful. The profusion of orna- 
ments with which they are loaded are marks of her 
continual fondness for dress ; while they entirely 
exclude all grace, and leave no more room for a 
painter's genius, than if he had been employed to 
copy an Indian idol, totally composed of hands and 
necklaces. A pale Eoman nose ; a head of hair 
loaded with crowns, and powdered with diamonds ; 
a vast ruff, a vaster fardingale, and a bushel of 
pearls, — are features by which everybody knows at 
once the picture of Elizabeth." 



REGALIA AND OTHER GEMS OF ENGLAND. 199 

Sir Walter Kaleigh dressed himself in a gorgeous 
manner, and was profusely decorated with gems. 
On court days, even his shoes wore gems of the 
value of more than $30,000 (£6,600). His armor 
was of solid silver, with sword and belt blazing with 
diamonds, rubies, and pearls. 

The Duke of Buckingham, the favorite of King 
James, wore his diamonds loosely attached, so that 
he might shake off a few at pleasure. His cloaks 
were trimmed with great diamond buttons ; his hat- 
bands were of diamonds ; also his cockades. Among 
his many rich suits was one of white uncut vel- 
vet, set all over with diamonds, to the value of 
£80,000 ; besides a great feather bespangled with 
diamonds, as well as his sword, girdle, hat, and 
spurs. 

In olden times the shrine of Thomas a Becket was 
famous throughout England and attracted countless 
devotees from all parts of the realm. One hundred 
thousand persons of all ranks are said to have visited 
it in one year, offering a vast variety of gifts. In the 
twelfth century Louis VII. of France, disguised as 
a common pilgrim in the meanest garb, visited the 
shrine and presented it with a famous precious stone, 
called the Eegale of France, and as large as a bird's 
egg. Not a fragment of this glittering and splendid 
shrine — a mass of gold and jewels — remains at the 
present day to interest the antiquary ; and its treas- 
ures have been scattered to the winds, leaving no 
trace behind. 



200 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The churches of England, as well as France and 
Spain, were at one time enormously rich in pre- 
cious stones and ecclesiastical ornaments of the jewel- 
lers' art; but wars and insurrections are fatal to 
collections of the rare and the beautiful; and the 
fury and cupidity of the Leaguers, the iconoclasts, 
and the revolutionists have destroyed these treasures 
of art and nature, or dispersed them so that their 
identity is lost. 

The magnificence of the English clergy led Pope 
Innocent III. to exclaim, " England, thou garden 
of delights ! Thou art truly an inexhaustible 
fount of riches. From thy abundance much may 
be exacted." 



ASIATIC GEMS. 201 



CHAPTER X. 

ASIATIC GEMS. 

To Asia we naturally turn for the history of the 
diamond, and a solution of some of the phenomena 
connected with the mineral. But here we have to 
contend with vexations at all points ; and instead of 
clearness, we have obscurity, disconnected histories, 
conflicting traditions, and superstitious fancies. How- 
ever, from the mass of fragments which have been 
preserved, the patient antiquary eventually may be 
able to arrange an interesting story relating to the 
gem in the early days of its discovery and its adoption 
in ornamentation. 

We will now proceed to mention some of the 
celebrated stones whose history has been more or 
less clearly defined; and regret to say that there 
are a large number of others of great interest and 
value, but of which we are unable to give a correct 
description. 

The Hindoos prize diamonds greatly on account of 
their supposed spiritual properties, and they reluc- 
tantly part with them unless compelled by dire neces- 
sity, or induced by the hope of greater gain. Many 
of the fine diamonds brought to Europe from Asia 



202 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

have blood-stained histories, and some of them are 
connected with appalling atrocities. Therefore we 
may with propriety say that few of the noble gems 
would have found their way to Europe had the free 
will of their rightful owners been consulted. 

The foremost gem in the history of the diamond was 
that which was called the Great Mogul. This was 
the largest of all known diamonds, and was found 
in the rich mines of Gani about the year 1650, or 
nearly a century after their discovery. It became 
the property of Vizier Mirgimola, who, although a 
Persian by birth, had by ability and tact risen to the 
honor of general and vizier to the King of Golconda. 
By means of his rapacity in war, and his success in 
working the diamond mines, he became enormously 
wealthy, and accumulated immense numbers of gems. 
The King finally became jealous of the wealth and 
power of his favorite, and resolved to destroy him. 
But Mirgimola, warned of his danger in time, suc- 
ceeded in escaping with all his treasures to the 
capital of Shah Jehan, the Great Mogul. The wily 
Persian gained the favor and protection of the Hin- 
doo monarch by magnificent presents of gems, the 
chief of which was the immense diamond which has 
since been called the Great Mogul. 

The original weight of this mammoth gem is said 
to have been 787| karats ; but during the process of 
cutting it was reduced to 279 karats. Tavernier re- 
lates that the work had been intrusted to a Venetian 
lapidary by the name of. Hortensio Borghis, who, 



ASIATIC GEMS. 203 

ignorant of the duties of his task, removed the flaws 
and external imperfections by grinding the surface of 
the stone away. The labor required by this operation 
seems almost incredible when we come to consider 
the hardness of the stone, and estimate the difficulty 
of polishing it, especially with the rude means then 
in use by the Oriental lapidaries. The cutting of the 
Pitt diamond (now the Eegent) required two years' 
time, with the aid of modern appliances and the 
facilities afforded by means of cleavage, by which 
large fragments were removed and utilized. There- 
fore the statement that this stone was reduced solely 
by grinding from 78 7£ karats to 279 karats is likely 
to meet with disbelief among the lapidaries ; for the 
operation must have required more than the fifteen 
years which had elapsed from the discovery of the 
gem to the time Tavernier examined it. Tavernier 
says distinctly that cleavage was not resorted to in 
facilitating the reduction of the stone. We quote: 
" Had the Sieur Hortensio been well acquainted with 
his profession he might have obtained from this great 
stone some good pieces without doing any injury to 
the King, and without having taken so much trouble 
in grinding it away ; but he was not a very skilful 
diamond-cutter." This statement establishes the fact 
that the secret of reducing diamonds by cleavage was 
known at that time. 

Fifteen years after the discovery Tavernier saw the 
gem in the hands of Aurungzeb, who was then Mogul, 
Shah Jehan having been deposed and placed in con- 



204 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

fmement. The distinguished traveller was allowed 
to examine the gem, weigh it, and make a drawing of 
it. It was then of the form of half an egg, and very 
high-crowned, and had been cut with many facets, 
quite regularly arranged over its superior surfaces. 
It was also of fine water, and disfigured by only one 
crack on its lower border, and a little flaw in the 
interior. 

The French traveller gives an account of the cer- 
emony of his examination as conducted with great 
precision and the utmost solemnity, as though the 
gems were the crystallizations or the embodiments 
of departed spirits. The gems were brought in upon 
two lacquered trays covered with brocade, and were 
counted over thrice, and three lists made of them by 
different scribes. This process was not particularly 
flattering to the pride of the guest, but it serves to 
illustrate or establish the fact that the Hindoo char- 
acter for deception and theft was quite as marked 
then as now. 

Since this period no further mention has been 
made of the gem by any authentic writer ; but it is 
supposed to have formed a part of the plunder of 
Delhi, when Nadir Shah captured all the treasures 
accumulated during four hundred years of prosper- 
ity, and which were valued at from $150,000,000. to 
$350,000,000. 

The next largest diamond shown to Tavernier was 
one of only 54|- karats, and all the rest were much 
inferior. Hence it is surmised that the Koh-i-noor, 



ASIATIC GEMS. 205 

the Shah, and the Daria-i-noor were then unknown, 
and were discovered at a later period. But it is 
stated that the former Mogul, who was still in con- 
finement, retained many of the gems of his own 
collecting, and that they may have been among 
them. Or they may have been in possession of 
Mirgimola. At all events, the Mogul disappeared 
with the last Tatar invasion ; and new paragons, like 
the Koh-i-noor, became known to the world. After 
the assassination of Nadir Shah his treasures were 
scattered among many chieftains, and all record of 
many of them has been lost. 

The fate of the Mogul is shrouded in mystery. 
The famous gem preserved in the Persian treasury 
and called Daria-i-noor, " the ocean of lustre," which 
Forbes saw and described, is not the lost stone. By 
some it is believed to be hidden away in some 
obscure fortress, to appear at some future day when 
the possessor may display his hidden treasure in 
safety. This view is certainly warranted by the dis- 
covery of the large flat diamond of one hundred and 
thirty karats among the jewels taken from the harem 
of Eeeza Kooli at the capture of Coocha by the 
Persian army in 1832. Also the finding of the 
celebrated crown of Chosroes by Abbas in the treas- 
ury of one of the Princes in the Lauristan Mountains 
near the Persian Gulf, where it had lain concealed 
for a thousand years. 

Were it not for the general accuracy and truthful- 
ness of Tavernier, and the drawing he has left of the 



206 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

diamond, we might claim the Orloff as the missing- 
Mogul. Certainly the resemblance in form is very- 
remarkable ; and the location of the flaws, with the 
rare circumstance of shape, are facts very strongly in 
favor of the Orloff. The question now arises, did 
Tavernier make an error in his weight and draw the 
outlines carelessly or from memory ? We have seen 
how confused history has become regarding the iden- 
tity of the Sancy diamond. 

The real Koh-i-noor of Hindoo history is probably 
the great Mogul or the Orloff; and the name would 
be appropriately applied to the dome-like shape of 
both of the stones, with their flashing beams of light, 
rather than to the flattened form of the English 
stone now called the Koh-i-noor, and which exhib- 
ited but little lustre. It is highly probable that the 
diamond of Runjeet Sing, the English Koh-i-noor, 
was one of the magnificent diamonds surrendered to 
Nadir Shah by Mohammed Shah at the sack of Delhi 
in 1739, but there is no positive proof of his ob- 
taining the great heirloom of the descendants of 
Aurungzeb. 

In reviewing the history of the Great Mogul gems, 
from the time of Tavernier down to the present day, 
we are inclined to regard the term Koh-i-noor, or 
" mountain of light," as a misnomer, and that the gem 
received this distinction only after its arrival at Kabul, 
or came into the possession of Eunjeet Sing ; neither 
have we any evidence to prove that the Koh-i-noor 
was the Great Mogul; for that appellation is not 



ASIATIC GEMS. 207 

given to it by the early writers. But it is not prob- 
able that the term, so superlative of excellence and 
superiority, would be applied to an inferior gem, while 
the great diamond of the Mogul, weighing two hun- 
dred and eighty karats, was in existence. 

The history of all these great diamonds is very ob- 
scure ; and as the value of the Indian weights and 
measures varies so much at different places and at 
different times, it is quite impossible to follow with 
precision the fragments of history that relate to 
them. 

Several accounts have been given of the manner in 
which the Koh-i-noor fell into the clutches of Eun- 
jeet; but that of Dr. "Wilson, as published in the 
official catalogue of the great Exhibition at London, 
is probably correct. It is as follows : — 

"When Shah Soujah was driven from Kabul, he be- 
came the nominal guest and actual prisoner of Runjeet 
Sing, who spared neither opportunity nor menace until, 
in 1813, he compelled the fugitive monarch to resign the 
precious gem, presenting him on the occasion, it is said, 
with a lakh of rupees, or about £1 2,000 sterling. 

"According to Shah Soujah's own account, however, he 
assigned to him the revenues of three villages, not one 
rupee of which he ever realized. Runjeet was highly 
elated by the acquisition of the diamond, and wore it 
as an armlet at all public festivals. 

" When he was dying, an attempt was made by persons 
about him to persuade him to make the diamond a present 
to Juggernaut ; and it is said he intimated by an inclination 



208 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the head his assent. The treasurer, however, in whose 
charge it was, refused to give it up without some better 
warrant ; and Runjeet dying before a written order could 
be signed by him, the Koh-i-noor was preserved for a while 
for his successors. It was occasionally worn by Khurruk 
Sing and Shir Sing. After the murder of the latter it 
remained in the Lahore Treasury until the supersession of 
Dhulip Sing and the annexation of the Punjaub by the Brit- 
ish Government, when the civil authorities took possession 
of the Lahore Treasury, under the stipulation previously 
made, that all the property of the State should be confiscated 
to the East India Company, in part payment of the debt due 
by the Lahore Government, and of the expenses of the war. 
It was at the same time stipulated that the Koh-i-noor 
should be surrendered to the Queen of England. 

" The diamond was conveyed to Bombay by Governor 
General the Earl of Dalhousie, whom ill health had com- 
pelled to repair to the coast, and was then given in charge 
to Lieutenant-Colonel Mackesou, C. B., and Captain T. 
Ramsay, the Military Secretary to the Governor General, 
to take to England. These officers embarked on board 
Her Majesty's steamship 'Medea,' and left Bombay on the 
6th of April, 1850. They arrived at Portsmouth on the 
30th of June ; and two days afterwards relinquished their 
charge to the Chairman and Deputy-chairman of the Court 
of Directors, by whom, in company with the President of 
the Board of Control, the Koh-i-noor was delivered to her 
Majesty on the 3d of July, — an appropriate and honorable 
close to its eventful career." 

We are led to infer from the accounts of history 
that some of the Indian rulers collected enormous 



ASIATIC GEMS. 209 

quantities of the precious stones. It is stated that 
Mahmoud, in his campaign in India about the elev- 
enth century, captured the temple Bheen, which, ac- 
cording to Ferishta, contained a greater quantity of 
precious stones and pearls "than was ever collected 
in the royal treasury of any prince on earth." They 
were carried off to Ghizna. 

In another campaign the idol at Sumnat, fifteen 
feet high, was captured, which being broken open 
yielded great quantities of rubies, diamonds, and 
pearls which had been concealed in it. These were 
carried to Ghizna. Ferishta says Ala-ud-deen ob- 
tained from the Eaja of Mahrattas fifty pounds of 
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, and also 
one hundred and seventy-five pounds of pearls. 

In the middle of the sixteenth century Acber of 
India gave a splendid banquet in honor of his birth- 
day ; and, if the reports concerning it are correct, it was 
one of the most magnificent entertainments ever given 
on the earth. Acres of land were covered with silken 
and flaxen tents, and the horses and elephants were 
bespangled with gold and gems. The tents of the 
Nabob were not only exquisitely made and adorned, 
but even the carpets which covered the earth were 
richly embroidered with gold, pearls, and precious 
stones. In describing the beauty and magnificence 
of the Hindoo nobles, the historian states that they 
were adorned with diamonds that " sparkled like the 
firmament." 

Shah Jehan, the greatest of Mogul sovereigns since 
14 



210 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Timour, collected the wealth of India around him, 
and lavished it in a manner that reads more like a 
chapter in the "Arabian Nights" than a page of 
historic reality. At his death the treasury contained 
$150,000,000 ; and his palace, with its embellish- 
ments and ornaments, was the most beautiful the 
world has ever seen. The Peacock Throne was valued 
at $30,000,000, and his crown at $12,000,000. The 
diadem had twelve points, each tipped with a dia- 
mond of large size and the purest water. In the 
centre was embedded a huge pearl, and the rest of 
the crown was a glittering mass of rubies, diamonds, 
and other gems. 

The dress of the Emperor was in keeping with his 
extravagance: around his neck he wore three strings 
of immense pearls ; his arms were covered with arm- 
lets of diamonds and bracelets of other gems; his 
sword and buckler were incrusted with diamonds 
and rubies ; and his sceptre was entwined with a 
chain of pearls, rubies, and diamonds. Besides his 
crown, he had a rich turban plumed with long heron 
feathers ; on one side was a huge ruby, on the other 
a diamond, while an immense emerald decorated the 
front. 

The famous Peacock Throne of Indian history is 
no myth • for Tavernier examined it with care, and 
has left a description of it so clear, that its reality 
and its value are matters of fact. It was so called 
from the figures of two peacocks with expanded tails 
standing behind it as large as life. These figures 



ASIATIC GEMS. 211 

were constructed of gold and precious stones of all 
varieties, and so arranged as to represent the natural 
colors of the birds. The beautiful hues of the feath- 
ers were closely imitated by the arrangement of fine 
rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and other gems. 

The throne was six feet long and four feet wide, 
and was constructed of solid gold, inlaid with dia- 
monds, emeralds, and rubies. Steps of silver were 
placed in front of it ; while a canopy of gold, fringed 
with pearls, supported by twelve pillars emblazoned 
with flashing gems, surmounted the whole. Between 
the peacocks stood a representation of the parrot, 
carved from emerald or some green stone. On each 
side of the throne was placed one of the sacred um- 
brellas, called chattars, made of richly embroidered 
crimson velvet fringed with pearls. Their handles 
were of solid gold, about eight feet long, and studded 
with diamonds. This was the most costly and su- 
perb work of art of its kind ever invented. 

Its rival was the Cerulean Throne of the House of 
Bhamenee in the Nizam. It was constructed in the 
seventeenth century, and, according to the descrip- 
tion of Ferishta, the Persian historian, was nine feet 
long by three feet wide, made of ebony, covered 
with plates of gold, and incrusted with gems. Its 
value was estimated at quite twenty millions of 
dollars. At the sack of Delhi, the Peacock Throne, 
with many other priceless relics, fell into the hands 
of Nadir Shah and his ravenous followers, and was 
carried off by them, and broken up. 



212 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

We may form an idea of the magnificent costumes 
worn by the Eastern monarchs, from the description 
given by Mr. Elphinstone, the British envoy to the 
King of Kabul, in 1808. At the reception given 
to the embassy, the king was literally covered with 
gems. At first sight, he appeared to be clothed with 
an armor composed of jewels ; but, on close inspec- 
tion, his dress was found to consist of a green tunic 
covered with large flowers in gold and precious stones. 
Over these a large breastplate of diamonds shaped 
like two flattened fieurs cle lis was worn. Upon each 
thigh, ornaments fashioned after the same manner 
were placed ; while large emerald bracelets appeared 
on the arms, and many other jewels were adjusted 
to different parts of the body. In one of these 
bracelets flashed the Koh-i-noor, then regarded as 
one of the largest diamonds in the world. Over the 
chest were arranged some strings of very large pearls, 
like loose cross-belts. The crown was about nine 
inches high, and formed entirely of precious stones, 
like the wonderful plumes of Prince Esterhazy. It 
seemed to be radiated, like the ancient crowns ; and 
behind the rays appeared peaks of purple velvet. 
Several small branches with pendants apparently 
projected from the crown ; but the ornament was so 
complicated and so dazzling, that it was difficult for 
the spectators to understand it, and quite impossible 
to describe it. 

Other famous diamonds besides the Mogul are 
missing; and modern history is unable to account 



ASIATIC GEMS. 213 

for them. What has become of the splendid flat 
diamond weighing two hundred and forty-two karats, 
which Tavernier examined in Golconda ; or the 
immense Agrah of six hundred and forty-five karats, 
in the rough, which the same traveller saw in India ? 
Were they also gathered by the followers of Nadir, 
and divided in the spoliation of the property of the 
conqueror ? We know that Persia, enriched by the 
last conquest of India, is immensely rich in precious 
stones of all descriptions ; but the number, the char- 
acter, and the value of them, are as shadowy as those 
of Turkey. However, we have a ray of intelligence 
from Bernier, who hastily estimated the value of the 
Persian jewels at thirteen and one half milliards of 
francs. 

This prodigious estimate has been strengthened by 
the gorgeous appearance of the last Persian ambas- 
sador to France. The costume of this Emir fairly 
blazed with the brilliancy of the most costly gems, 
and recalled the departed glory of the last Prince of 
Esterhazy. The presents sent at the same time by 
the Sultan to the Empress Eugenie were most mag- 
nificent, especially the diamond bracelets, and were 
glorious emblems of Oriental favor. 

Among the diamonds possessed by the Persian 
Crown, besides the Daria-i-noor, which is said to 
weigh two hundred and thirty-two karats, we have 
information of three others of remarkable size and 
beauty. They are named the Taj-Mah, or Crown 
of the Moon, of one hundred and forty-six karats; 



214 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the Sea of Glory, of sixty-six karats ; and the Moun- 
tain of Splendor, of one hundred and thirty-five 
karats, valued at $729,000. 

Dr. Beke, at the meeting of the British Associa- 
tion, in 1851, read a paper on a new diamond that 
had lately come into the possession of Persia. He 
referred to the diamond slab of one hundred and 
thirty karats that had been captured at Coocha, in 
1832 , and which he thought might have been a part 
of the Koh-i-noor when in its natural state. The only 
account of its history the Persians could obtain, was 
the statement that it was found in the possession of 
a poor man, a native of Khorasan, who used it for 
the purpose of lighting his fires, by striking it against 
steel [the mineral does not possess the property], 
and that it had thereby sustained some damage. 
The gem was presented by Abbas Murza to his fa- 
ther, Futteh Ali Shah, and is presumed to be now 
among the crown jewels of Persia. 

One of the latest accounts of the Persian treasures 
is given by Mr. Eastwick, who was permitted to ex- 
amine them. He found them placed in a small, 
strongly built room, to which access was had by 
means of a narrow, steep stairway and very small 
door. In this apartment, spread out upon thick, 
velvety carpets, were displayed gems and jewels 
of the value of $35,000,000. Conspicuous among 
them was the Kaianian crown, which was shaped 
like a flower-pot, and topped by an immense uncut 
ruby as big as a hen's egg, which is supposed to have 



ASIATIC GEMS. 215 

come from Siam. Beside this tiara were spread two 
lambskins covered with beautiful aigrettes of dia- 
monds ; and before them lay trays of pearl, ruby, and 
emerald necklaces, with countless rings. The famous 
Kaianian belt was also an object of wonder. This 
relic of barbaric splendor weighs about twenty pounds. 
It is nearly a foot in depth, and is incrusted mas- 
sively with splendid diamonds, pearls, rubies, and 
emeralds. 

The exhibition of arms was worthy of the Oriental 
taste for martial decoration, and recalled to memory 
the ancient fondness for such things, and the sword 
and scabbard of Mithridates, which has been men- 
tioned in history as being of enormous value. Some 
of these, now belonging to the Persian Shah, are 
magnificently decorated with gold and gems, to the 
value of more than a quarter of a million of dollars. 

The arms of defence of the Oriental nations have 
been noted from the earliest times for the beauty and 
splendor of their decorations, in which lavish use has 
been made of the finest diamonds, emeralds, rubies, 
and other precious stones, set in a variety of metals. 
The excellence of these precious productions was 
made known to the nations of the Mediterranean by 
means of commercial caravans long before the inva- 
sions of Xerxes or Alexander ; and some of them are 
objects of admiration to the skilled artisans of the 
present day. 

In Lahore, Benares, and Lucknow are yet preserved 
the secrets of the gold workers of Assyria and ancient 



216 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Phoenicia, which have long been forgotten in the 
countries where they were invented. The enamels 
of these artisans, especially the green, red, blue, and 
turquoise hues, are not surpassed in beauty of tint by 
the finest enamels of Paris. 

As Persia is the home of the turquoise, the trav- 
eller would expect to see the finest representative of 
the mineral species in this collection. And he will 
not be disappointed, for the specimen of turquoise 
treasured here above all others is of a magnificent 
color, from three to four inches long, and without a 
flaw. Its value is not given; but we may draw an 
inference from Shylock's turquoise, which was worth 
"a wilderness of monkeys." 

Besides the above enumerated articles the treasury 
contains numberless objects of value not described, 
and among them piles of gauntlets and belts, massive 
with pearls and diamonds. 

The present ruler of Persia, Nasiru'd-din, during his 
late visit to Europe, displayed upon his person many 
of the chief treasures of his crown. They were not, 
'ever, exhibited to advantage, for his costume was 
an . ongruous mixture of the amplitude of nomadic 
ideas Ni the .close-fitting symmetry of the French 
tailor. - \ ridiculous figure of the Shah, surmounted 
by the ancient lofty Persian hat, heightened in comi- 
cality by a pair of gold-bowed spectacles, presented a 
picture that detracted from the splendor of the gems 
which he wore. His coat, which was made after the 
style of the Parisian frock, was plaited over the hips 



ASIATIC GEMS. 217 

and adorned with extraordinary gems. From waist to 
shoulder, arranged in echelon, were placed five enor- 
mous diamonds, each said to be larger than the English 
Koh-i-noor. The collar and sleeves of this garment 
were also fairly incrusted by brilliants of great beauty ; 
while over his breast hung his various insignia and 
orders set with the finest of gems. His sword-belt 
and sheath were formed of gold, studded with dia- 
monds, rubies, and emeralds ; while his golden spurs 
were formed of diamonds of such perfection as to 
flash like sunbeams as he walked along. 

Many fine diamonds are undoubtedly to be found 
among the nabobs and princes of India. And their 
concealment may have been advised by the lessons of 
the past. Fears of English rapacity may have caused 
the fracture of the famous Nizam diamond, or a re- 
port to that effect. This beautiful gem, which is 
said to have weighed three hundred and forty karats, 
belonged to the King of Golconda, and is said to 1 .ave 
been broken at the commencement of the last Indian 
revolt. 

In 1807 a fine diamond of seventy-seven karats 
was obtained by the Eanee Euthen from the bed of 
the river Sumbhulpore ; and in 1809 a fine gem of 
one hundred and sixty-eight karats was found in the 
sands of the river Mahamuddee. 

The King of Ava possesses many diamonds, but of 
unknown value. Colonel Symes saw, in his visit of 
1795, many rude ornaments of remarkable splendor 
and value. One of the state carriages fairly blazed 



218 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

with its decorations of burnished gold, covered with 
diamonds and other gems. 

The Sultan of Mattan in Borneo is said to possess 
a remarkable diamond ; but there is some doubt as to 
its authenticity, like its great rival, that of the King 
of Portugal. But Mr. Hugh Low, Colonial Secretary 
of the Island, declares in his work on Sarawak and 
its productions, published in 1848, that the gem of 
the Sultans is a real diamond, and of the great weight 
of three hundred and sixty-seven karats. It was, at 
that time, in the rough state, and its shape was that 
of an egg indented on one side. Its value was esti- 
mated by Mr. Crawford to be £269,378. Sir Stamford 
Baffles relates that the stone has remained as an heir- 
loom in the royal family for four descents, and is 
almost the only appendage of royalty now remaining. 
The Governor of Batavia, desirous of obtaining the 
gem, is said to have sent Mr. Stewart to Borneo to 
negotiate for it. But although the tempting offer of 
$150,000, with two brigs of war with their guns and 
ammunition, was made to the Sultan, he refused to 
deprive his family of the rich inheritance which was 
supposed to be in the possession of the diamond. 

In the time of Sir Stamford Baffles few courts in 
Europe could boast of a more brilliant display of dia- 
monds than was exhibited by the ladies of Batavia 
in the prosperous days of Dutch commerce, when the 
trade of India and Eastern Asia was to a very great 
extent in the control of Holland. 

We cannot properly close this chapter on the 



ASIATIC GEMS. 219 

gems of Asia without making a brief allusion to 
that master-piece of architecture, the Taj Mahal, the 
palace-tomb, which Shah Jehan erected at Agra in 
memory of his beautiful and beloved wife. The 
Mogul Emperor promised the dying Empress the 
most beautiful tomb the world had ever seen; and 
he Kept his promise. Even to-day, after so many 
centuries of neglect and pillage, the fairy-like struct- 
ure rises to the view more like one of the dreams 
of the "Arabian Nights" than a material edifice 
constructed by human hands. 

In its construction the wealth of India was placed 
at the service of its architects, and thousands of 
laborers were employed for many years. The chief 
architect was a Frenchman, M. de Bordeaux, who 
also designed the famous Peacock Throne at Delhi. 
Enormous quantities of precious and semi-precious 
stones of all descriptions were used in its ornamen- 
tation, and inlaid in its walls, its columns, and orna- 
ments. The images were masses of glittering gems, 
and some of the mosaics were marvels of beauty and 
human skill. 

In a curious manuscript, still preserved, is given 
an account of the gems, jewels, etc., and their value, 
used in the construction. All parts of Asia were 
searched for the richest gems, — Thibet for its tur- 
quoises, Ceylon for its lapis lazuli, Persia for its ame- 
thysts, Lunka for its sapphires, and Pannah for its 
diamonds. The famous Hindoo temple of Sumnat 
was, in the days of its perfection, one of the most 



220 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

renowned of all the shrines of India, and must have 
been a structure of wonderful richness, when its fifty- 
six pillars, incrusted and inlaid with multitudes of 
precious stones, sparkled in the morning light. Even 
at. the present day its ruins, though despoiled of their 
ornaments, are very beautiful and impressive. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 221 



CHAPTEE XI. 

gi 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The royal family of Brazil are said to possess dia- 
monds of great beauty, selected for their superi- 
ority from the best of the products of the mines of 
the country. But we have not been able to obtain 
reliable descriptions of them. 

The Crown of Portugal, by virtue of its inheritance, 
is said to own immense numbers of the gem ; and it 
is understood that they are held in reserve, and only 
a certain quantity are to be sold from time to time 
according to the demands of the market. In cor- 
roboration of this report it is said that the Bank of 
Lisbon sold, in 1863, rough diamonds to the value of 
1,800,000 francs out of the collection brought from 
Brazil by John VI. in 1821. It was also stated that 
the value of the remainder was estimated at 35,000,000 
francs. 

Mr. Mawe, at the time of his visit to Lisbon, stated 
that the treasury of the King contained diamonds 
amounting in weight to four thousand or five thousand 
karats. The same traveller and gem-expert says that 
a vast number of the Brazilian diamonds have passed 
into the possession of the King of Portugal. And 



222 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

he furthermore states that he examined diamonds 
belonging to this potentate, which were worth more 
than two million pounds sterling. 

Among the crown jewels of Portugal there is a gem 
of large dimensions which has been reported to be 
a diamond weighing 1,680 karats. Mr. Murray de- 
scribed it to be as large as an ostrich egg, and added 
that Mr. Mawe informed him that it was a white topaz. 
Eome de LTsle, in his treatise on Crystallography, 
published in 1783, describes the stone as a diamond, 
but admits that it is suspected to be a white topaz. 
It is a little singular that this discrepancy and ob- 
scurity has not been definitely cleared up during all 
this time, when the character of the stone can so 
easily be ascertained. As the massive variety of dia- 
mond is found in masses of more than one thousand 
karats, it is even probable that the crystalline and 
transparent variety may occur of equal weight. 

Mr. Murray mentioned a beautiful gem of two hun- 
dred and fifteen karats, called the Bound Brilliant of 
Portugal, and estimated ifs value at £388,290. Mr. 
Mawe describes another a little less in size, and also 
two nearly perfect octahedrons of one hundred and 
thirty-four and one hundred and twenty karats each. 

The state waistcoat of Joseph I. had twenty but- 
tons, each button being composed of a solitaire dia- 
mond of the value of $20,000, and the rest of its 
ornaments were corresponding in beauty and value. 
This garment is said to have been the richest ever 
seen in Europe, with the exception of the recent 



MISCELLANEOUS. 223 

grand illumination by the Shah of Persia. It has 
also been stated that the golden cane of John YI. 
had in its top a splendid brilliant of the value of a 
million of francs. 

The largest of the Brazilian diamonds was dis- 
covered as late as 1852, by a negress working in the 
mines of Begagem. Like most of the large diamonds, 
its form was not symmetrical, and its shape was 
much modified from the regular crystalline forms. 
In 1856 it was brought to France and exhibited to 
the members of the Academy of Sciences. The gem 
then weighed in its rough state 254i karats, and 
appeared perfectly transparent and without tint. It 
was placed in the hands of Coster, of Amsterdam, 
for cutting, and reduced in weight to 127 karats. 
The form given it was the brilliant ; but the gem was 
cut too thin to exhibit its full beauty. The spread 
of its table will be found, on comparison, to be much 
greater than that of the Begent diamond, which 
weighs 136 karats, or almost 10 karats more ■ there- 
fore Babinet properly exclaims against the taste 
which adopted an imperfect brilliant, at a great re- 
duction of weight, when the form of the brilliolette, 
like that of one of the Sancys, would have preserved 
three fourths of its weight and given it a more splen- 
did lustre. It would then have been the second dia- 
mond in weight and beauty in Europe. This gem 
is known as the Star of the South, but is sometimes 
called the Halphen diamond, from the name of the 
gentleman who bought it on its arrival in Europe. 



224 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The gem treasures of the Elector of Saxony are 
among the most valuable and unique in Europe. 
The commencement of their collection dates from 
an early period. The famous silver mines, prior to 
the discovery of America, placed the Saxon princes 
among the richest sovereigns of Europe; and they 
took pride in exhibiting their magnificence, in ex- 
pending vast sums of money in the purchase of gems, 
jewels, and works of art. 

The treasures thus accumulated during a long pe- 
riod of time are of immense value ; and the apart- 
ments where they are displayed remind the observer 
of the gorgeous descriptions of Oriental magnificence. 
And unless we except the unknown collection in the 
Turkish Seraglio and those of the Crown of Eussia, 
it is the most extensive and interesting in the world. 
All that is rare and beautiful on earth is here rep- 
resented ; and the total valuation of all the objects 
of art and nature must amount to many millions of 
dollars. They are contained in eight large consecu- 
tive rooms, each surpassing the previous one in the 
splendor and richness of its contents. Among the 
diamonds are some large and unique gems of the 
rose pattern. The gala dress and the decorations of 
the Elector, which fairly dazzle the eye with their 
floods of brilliancy, are also kept here. In the epau- 
lette there are three splendid brilliants which weigh 
nearly fifty carats each. 

But the chief attraction among all this vast col- 
lection of gems is the famous green diamond. This 



MISCELLANEOUS. 225 

wonderful stone is of oblong form, 1 ^ inches in 
length by \% of an inch in width, and weighs 31^ 
karats. It is mounted in a clasp, set with large 
white brilliants. The price paid for it is kept a 
profound secret ; but it is reported that it was ob- 
tained at Warsaw by Augustus the Strong, and that 
he pafd 60,000 thalers for it. Amateurs generally 
regard the blue diamond as the most astonishing 
and perfect of the products of the mineral kingdom ; 
but we fail to perceive, in the exhibition of this color, 
any advantage over the fine green or the pure red 
diamonds. 

There is another diamond in this collection which 
is one of the finest in Europe, although it weighs but 
48| karats. It is known as the Saxon white bril- 
liant, and is of rare perfection of form and brilliancy. 
It is about ly 1 ^ inches square, and is set in the insig- 
nia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, surrounded 
with other fine brilliants. Augustus purchased it, 
and is said to have given more than $700,000 for 
it. This gem has a great reputation for its beauty. 
Comparison with the Eegent, the Orloff, and others, 
can alone determine its degree of excellence. 

The fifth and sixth divisions of the eighth apart- 
ment are devoted to the display of diamonds, and 
the insignia of Saxony. The decorations of the 
Elector, consisting of buttons, collar, sword-hilt, 
and scabbard, all glittering with diamonds, present 
a charming appearance. There are also to be seen, 
profusely decorated with gems, the Saxon Order of 

15 



226 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the Bue Garland, and the seven orders of the Golden 
Fleece. 

Among the royal treasures in Munich there are 
several beautiful pink diamonds of large size, and a 
magnificent blue one of thirty-six karats, which is 
set in the Order of the Golden Fleece. 

In the treasury of the royal palace may be seen 
many fine single diamonds, together with magnificent 
emeralds and sapphires of great value. The King's 
and Queen's crowns, resplendent with brilliants, are 
kept here, with others of older date which be- 
longed to the former Counts Palatine. Among the 
relics are preserved the ancient diadems of Henry 
II. and his Empress Kunigunda of the date 1010 ; 
also, the orb and sceptre of the Emperor Charles 
VII., together with his crown. 

Prussia has but few diamonds, the policy of the 
Hohenzollerns having been adverse to the purchase 
of gems as baubles. Austria, however, is rich in 
diamonds, and possesses some extraordinary gems. 
The Imperial Jewel Office at Vienna contains a rare 
collection of great value. Here is preserved the 
famous Eegalia of Charlemagne, which were buried 
with the great conqueror in his tomb at Aix la 
Chapelle. Barbarossa, in 1165, dared to violate the 
sanctity of this sepulchre, and removed the barbaric 
jewels, which are of great interest to the antiquary 
and the historian. For several centuries past they 
have been used at the coronation of the German 
emperors. The crown is a magnificent specimen of 



MISCELLANEOUS. 227 

the art of the Middle Ages, and is ornamented with 
rough diamonds and other gems in their natural 
state. 

The crown and sceptre of Eudolph II. may be 
seen here. They are also adorned with uncut dia- 
monds and gems, and were formerly worn by the 
German emperors elect on their entrance into 
Frankfort. 

The chains, collars, decorations, regalia, belonging 
to the dresses of the various Austrian Orders, namely, 
Golden Fleece, Maria Theresa, etc., and worn by 
the Emperor, exhibit a splendid collection of dia- 
monds, topazes, emeralds, etc., unique in size and 
perfection. 

Here is also to be seen the famous yellow diamond 
known as the Florentine. It is in the form of a 
double rose with facets cut all around, and weighs 
139-|- karats. It is of a fine lustre, but of a yellow 
tinge, sufficient to impair the beauty of the pris- 
matic reflections. The Emperor Francis, as Grand 
Duke of Tuscany, inherited the gem, which accounts 
for its presence in Vienna. 

This gem has been confounded with the diamond 
given to the Pope by Charles the Bold ; but its 
history is very obscure, and its introduction into 
Europe is unknown. There is, however, a story 
among the Italians that it was first discovered by an 
amateur while hunting over the relics and objects of 
virtu in a curiosity shop at Florence, where it was 
regarded as a crystal of yellow quartz. Ta vernier 



228 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

saw it in Florence in the middle of the seventeenth 
centnry, but does not mention its history. Besides 
this gem there are several large diamonds in Europe 
whose history has become very confused, and it 
is now difficult to trace their identity in several 
instances. 

The Florentine is the rarest specimen of the kind 
known, and, although it is not cut with regularity, 
its lustre and its brilliancy are greatly increased by 
its star-like cut. It is 1^ inches in length, by one 
inch wide, and is neatly set in a large sevignhe, sur- 
rounded by other fine diamonds. Its value is placed 
at $450,000. There is also another large and fine 
diamond intended as a button for a hat, but its his- 
tory is unknown. 

The finest rose-colored diamond known belongs 
to the Austrian jewels. It is of a beautiful rose- 
color, thirty-two karats in weight, and of remarkable 
lustre. It is now placed in the centre of a knot of 
white brilliants to which the decoration of the cross 
of Maria Theresa is attached. Here is also the 
beautiful bouquet of flowers made for Maria, and 
constructed out of colored diamonds and other pre- 
cious stones. 

The finest collection of colored diamonds in the 
world is to be seen here. It was made by a Tyrolese 
named Helmreicher, who went to Brazil and spent the 
most of his life there in searching for them among 
the different mines. They illustrate finely the wide 
range of color possessed by the gem. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 229 

The Empress of Austria, in 1800, during the war 
with France, wishing to emulate the manners of 
ancient warriors, sent to the Archduke Charles, then 
in command of the army of Bohemia, a helmet set 
with magnificent gems. 

In ancient times it was not rare for Eastern mon- 
archs to array themselves richly, which the stern 
Eomans affected to despise, believing in the virtues 
of unadorned steel. The decorations of Artaxerxes 
Mnemon and Mithridates are said to have amounted 
to millions of dollars in value. It is also reported 
that Alexander, at the battle of Arbela, wore a hel- 
met with a gorget of polished steel set with gems. 
Murat, however, the gayest of all modern generals, 
obtained his picturesque effects by means of colored 
fabrics and feathers rather than from gold and gems. 

There were few persons among the frequenters 
of the courts of Europe during the past three-quar- 
ters of a century who had not heard of the value 
and the splendor of the Esterhazy jewels. It appears 
that near the close of the last century Nicholas, 
Prince Esterhazy, assisted at the crowning of Francis 
II. as King of Hungary. He was then captain of 
the Guard of Honor, which was composed of twenty- 
four nobles and princes of inferior rank, and on 
this occasion first appeared in his ornaments of pre- 
cious stones. The Prince, not content with the 
usual decorations belonging to his rank and his 
corps, transformed all parts of his equipments which 
were of metal into open gold-work incrusted with 



230 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

gems. The effect was so beautiful as to stimu- 
late the Prince to continue and complete his de- 
signs in a magnificent manner. And therefore he 
sought far and wide for the finest gems to adorn his 
person. 

This passion for collecting and decorating soon 
ripened into a mania, and developed a prodigality 
greater than the Curii or Fabricii ever dreamed 
of. Ample means were at hand to foster this love 
of magnificence, for the Prince was feudal pro- 
prietor of a third of Hungary, being possessor of 
thirty-three manors, and lord of seventeen grand 
seignories. 

The uniform of his rank as general of Hungarian 
huzzars, composed of jacket, pelisse, and pantaloons, 
was woven with pearls of the finest description ; 
and among the multitudes of gems which formed 
the decorations were fifty thousand fine diamonds of 
the brilliant form. The weight of these mantles of 
magnificence was more than one man could endure 
for a length of time ; and its profusion of ornament 
recalled the barbaric splendor of Lollia Paulina as 
she appeared at the banquet of Caligula. Gems of 
all colors and varieties were employed by the Prince, 
and many fine rubies, emeralds, and topazes were 
made use of. The most valued and the most deli- 
cately formed of all his ornaments was the aigrette 
of diamonds which replaced the ordinary plumes 
on his huzzar cap. It was called the most beauti- 
ful jewel in the universe. These artificial plumes, 



MISCELLANEOUS. 231 

which flashed like flames of fire, contained five thou- 
sand diamonds of the purest transparency and most 
beautiful colors. Their weight amounted to one 
pound and a half avoirdupois. Around the huzzar 
cap were placed a wreath and a band, over which 
were ranged, in many rows, the finest and most 
brilliant pearls. The sword and scabbard were in- 
crusted with the rarest brilliants. The broad band 
which hung over the shoulder to the belt was a 
remarkable article of workmanship. It was a simple 
band covered with fine pearls and the most precious 
diamonds, one of which, at the shoulder, was valued 
at 20,000 livres and another at the waist at 12,000 
livres. Besides these ornaments he had for decora- 
tions six orders, — of the Toison d'Or, of the Bath, 
Saint Andrew, and others, all constructed of un- 
equalled magnificence. 

These costumes were worn by the Princes Nicholas 
and Paul at the coronation of Francis II., of George 
IV., of William IV., of Victoria, and of the Emperors 
of Eussia and Austria ; and were the themes of admi- 
ration, even among the glittering uniforms of higher 
ranks. But finally, by the fatality that attends col- 
lections of all that is beautiful on the earth, there 
came a change in the fortunes of the heir of Ester- 
hazy. Paul, the last Prince, died some years ago ha- 
rassed with debts. His estates were hypothecated; 
but his jewels passed into the hands of his creditors, 
and many of them were sent to London to be sepa- 
rated and sold. Since then most of the beautiful 



232 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

gems, which sparkled so brilliantly in former times 
in the courts of Europe, have been scattered over 
the world, and their identity lost, their history 
forgotten. 

There is a very beautiful diamond of thirty- six 
karats owned in Holland, but its history we have 
not learned. 

The famous crown of St. Stephen of Hungary, 
which disappeared during the Ee volution of 1848, 
is said not to have any diamonds among its gems. 
Whether the absence of this stone is due to the ex- 
treme antiquity or to the whims of the constructors 
of the crown, we are unable to state. 

The late Duke of Brunswick had before his death 
a marvellous collection of diamonds, partly acquired 
in gratification of his eccentric tastes and partly 
obtained by inheritance. Among the latter was the 
famous Cumberland diamond of thirty-two karats, 
which had descended to the heir of the House of 
Hanover. We have not been able to obtain a de- 
scription of these treasures, nor can we learn of 
their disposition by the remarkable will of their late 
possessor. 

Among the church regalia of Catholic Europe, and 
the offerings presented in past times to the various 
shrines of the saints of their religion, are yet pre- 
served many gems of great beauty and value, and 
among them a great number of diamonds. Some of 
them have been stripped during the ravages of war, 
or by the iconoclastic fury of civil disturbances ; and 



MISCELLANEOUS. 233 

the pious monks have, in instances, restored their loss 
by the substitution of paste, which has pleased the 
pilgrim's eye quite as well. For instance, the cele- 
brated shrine of the Three Magi at Cologne has been 
despoiled of a great part of its vast treasures. And 
the skulls of the kings, inscribed with their names — 
Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar — written in rubies, 
were once crowned with gold diadems, resplendent 
with brilliant gems, now replaced by silver, gilt, and 
paste, or imitations. The custodians of the relics 
and jewels still assert, through pious fraud or a 
convenient ignorance, that their value amounts to 
6,000,000 francs. 

Catholicism, when it had the means, spared no 
expense in decorating its shrines and beautifying 
its relics. It well understood the effect of the 
glitter of gold and the brilliancy of gems upon the 
human imagination. The examples of this barbaric 
and yet cultivated taste are to be seen in all parts 
of Europe. Relics and insignia were not only lav- 
ishly adorned, like the Remonstrance at Prague with 
its 6,666 diamonds, but the bones of their saints were 
committed to the earth ornamented with costly gems, 
like those of Cardinal Borromeo interred at Milan 
two hundred years ago. The shrine of Loretto in 
Italy has been the most favored of all in Europe in 
attracting gifts from the rich and powerful as well as 
from the sick and the conscience-stricken. If reports 
are true, it has been and now is the receptacle of 
many of the most beautiful treasures of the mineral 



234 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

kingdom. As its history is not generally known, 
we will briefly allude to it, and give a still briefer 
description of its jewels. 

Casa Santa denotes the chapel of the Holy Virgin 
at Loretto in Italy. Its chief room is the chamber 
in which the Blessed Virgin is said to have been 
born, where she was betrothed to Joseph, where the 
angel saluted her, and where the Holy Ghost over- 
shadowed her, etc. Tradition says it was carried, in 
May, 1291, through the air by angels from Galilee 
to Tersato in Dalmatia, and four and a half years 
afterwards was taken to Italy and set down in a 
wood in the district of Eecanati, a thousand paces 
from the sea. 

Strange to relate, it was more than two hundred 
years before any author in that country took any 
notice of the event or of the building. It was, 
when first brought to notice, simply a house of one 
room ; but as religious enthusiasm became excited 
it also became necessary to repair its decayed condi- 
tion and improve its appearance. Therefore, Clement 
VII. caused a vaulted roof to be placed upon it and 
new foundations to support its tottering walls. At a 
later period it was completely encased in the finest 
Carrara marble, under the directions of the most cele- 
brated sculptors of the age and during the pontificates 
of Leo X., Paul III., and Gregory XIII. The edifice 
which encloses the chamber within its spacious walls 
was designed by Bramante, and its sculptures were 
designed and executed by the most famous artists. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 235 

This is composed of Istrian stone resembling the 
Travertine stone so much used at Borne. 

Within the ancient chamber, which is regarded 
as one of the holiest of all the holy precincts known, 
stands the sacred image, called the Great Madonna, 
five feet high, made of cedar, and carved, as tradition 
says, "by St. Luke, who was a carver as well as a 
physician. Upon her head is placed a triple crown 
of gold, enriched with diamonds and pearls, a 
gift from Louis XIII. of France. Over her shoul- 
ders an ample robe is cast, glittering with jewels 
of all descriptions and said to be of inestimable 
price. 

The niche in which the image is placed is also 
decorated with gems, and among them are seventy-one 
of the finest of the Bohemian topazes [quartz]. 

Adjoining the Virgin on the right side appears 
a statue of an angel cast in pure gold. This is also 
profusely enriched with diamonds and other gems. 
Some of these, which are said to have cost 50,000 
ducats, were the offering of Eleanora of the House of 
Este, the Queen of King James II. of England, when 
she sought for the intercession of the Virgin to grant 
her an heir. The Pretender to the British Crown 
was born not long after, to the delight of all those 
who believed in miraculous intervention. 

On the left side of the Virgin a silver statue of 
an angel is placed, and still further on the right ap- 
pears another costly image. This last was the gift 
of Louis XIII. of France, in gratitude for the birth 



236 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of the Dauphin, afterwards "Le Grand Monarque," 
Louis XIV. 

Seven lamps of solid gold are continually burning 
with a sacred flame before the image of the Virgin, 
and other parts of the room are illuminated with 
thirty-seven silver lamps. 

Although many of the reports concerning the 
valuables belonging to this famous shrine are prob- 
ably fiction, there is no doubt of the immense value 
of the gems and jewels that have been presented 
to it. The donations to the wealth of this famous 
shrine have been given from all parts of the world 
where the Catholic religion has been venerated. 
And all classes, both rich and poor, have zealously 
invoked the blessing of the mysterious spirit by their 
liberal bequests. 

The rich Abbey of St. Denys, before the Eevolution, 
is said to have possessed a rare and costly assemblage 
of gems, jewels, and jewelled relics. They were 
reported to have been the accumulation of many 
centuries, dating back Ijp the Carlovingian kings. 

Among them were said to have been valuable 
presents from the Emperors of Byzantium. But 
this is doubtful, for the Greeks despised Catholicism 
and the Crusaders. There may have been, and prob- 
ably were, fine gems of various kinds from the spoils 
obtained by the Franks in the conquest of Constan- 
tinople. There is no doubt, however, as to the rich- 
ness of the works of mediseval art ; for we find suffi- 
cient evidence in the old work of Dom Doublet's, 



MISCELLANEOUS. 237 

"Tresor of St. Denys," although the collection itself 
has long since been dispersed and almost forgotten. 
The iconoclastic fury of the Kevolution collected 
many of the treasures of this Abbey, with those of 
other chapels of Paris, and offered them at public 
sale in 1794. It is said that this collection embraced 
a great quantity of precious stones, — rubies, topazes, 
sapphires, etc., — both in the rough crystal and rudely 
cut, thus proving their Oriental origin. It is also 
stated that this much-to-be-lamented assemblage of 
beautiful things brought but 80,000 francs. 



238 LEISURE' HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



CHAPTEE XII. 

CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 

The art of polishing the diamond was discovered 
by man at an earlier age than history has generally 
ascribed to it. Positive evidence, however, is want- 
ing as to exact dates ; and the proof is chiefly 
presumptive. However, there is no doubt but that 
it was far anterior to the times when Berquen an- 
nounced his improvements on the process. We 
are quite willing to admit that the process of abrad- 
ing the diamond against diamond was really dis- 
covered by the native of Bruges ; but we cannot 
entertain the idea that the Hindoos were too stupid 
to pulverize the diamond and use its powder in 
polishing the gems. The natives had made use of 
powdered corundum in the earliest days, and it is 
preposterous not to admit they pulverized the dia- 
mond also. 

Most of the gems of antiquity, whether rubies or 
diamonds, are cut rudely ; and often, with the latter 
gem, the natural faces of the crystal are alone pol- 
ished. Tavernier found that the native Hindoos 
polished the natural faces of the crystal if it was 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 239 

clear, and covered the flawed and the defective with 
facets to disguise them. And so common was this 
practice, that the traveller was always suspicious of 
the quality of the stone, whenever it was offered to 
him cut in this manner. 

The improvement with many of these diamonds is 
so slight, that we consider the fact to be one of the 
reasons why certain natural crystals, like those in 
the crown and clasp of Charlemagne, for instance, 
were left in their rough state ; the advantage de- 
rived from cutting not being equal to the time and 
labor expended. 

It is true that we have no direct evidence of the 
cutting of the diamond in ancient times, and those 
that have descended to us from undoubted early 
Eoman periods are in the shape of natural crystals ; 
but still there is indirect testimony bearing in favor 
of the view. 

The ancient gem engravers were wont to use splin- 
ters of broken diamonds in their labors upon various 
kinds of gems ; and they probably powdered the 
adamas, as well as varieties of corundum, for the 
purpose of polishing the hard stones. Scarcity of 
the mineral, rather than ignorance of its properties, 
may have prevented its general use. 

Janon de St. Laurent, in his work on engraving 
tools, maintains that the ancient instruments for the 
purpose of cutting gems were the same as the mod- 
ern ; and not only the wheel was used, but diamond 
dust was also employed in the process. There is no 



240 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

doubt that the wheel and other tools were in use in 
Asia for a long period before their adoption by the 
nations on the Mediterranean. So far as we know, 
Persia was the birthplace of gem engraving. Why- 
are there not more examples of polished diamonds, 
if the process is so ancient ? the reader may ask. 
We may in part answer this question by saying, 
that the process of cutting regular facets on the gems 
was not early known, or the custom adopted ; and, the 
polishing being so difficult, that the lapidaries were 
content to polish the natural faces only. Polished 
crystals of diamonds of this character have descended 
to us from early times, and other examples are to be 
seen in ancient jewels. So little beauty was obtained 
by this polishing, that not much was gained in the 
vast labor required ; and the native ciystals were 
often used without any aid from the lapidary. We 
may see them in their rough crystalline forms in the 
crowns of the Gothic princes, the Iron Crown of 
Italy, and the ornaments of Charlemagne, besides 
other relics of ancient and even mediaeval times. 

This custom of using the rough gems prevailed to 
some extent in recent times ; and De Laet states that 
as late as the middle of the seventeenth century 
rough spinels were preferred to the cut for ornamen- 
tation. However, we will briefly allude to one or 
two instances in history, which lead the reader to 
infer that the diamond received a definite polish at 
an early day. Chrysostom, an authentic writer of 
the fourth century, in describing the magnificence 



CUTTING OF TEE DIAMOND. 241 

of the Greek emperors at Byzantium, mentions the 
dazzling splendor of the diamonds scintillating by 
agitation. If the historian does not use this descrip- 
tion for the gems in general, we may infer that the 
diamonds had been polished; since the unpolished 
stones do not exhibit much, if any, play of the pris- 
matic hues. The maxim, "diamond cut diamond," 
is of ancient origin, and may perhaps be referred to 
the saying in vogue among the Greeks as early as 
the seventh century, " that for the purpose of cutting 
diamonds, a diamond was most effectual." 

The accounts of the Oriental historians concerning 
the fetes of Timour in the fourteenth century, where 
diamonds were showered in profusion upon the guests, 
leave no doubts as to the art of polishing the gem 
as early as that period. 

The inventory of the joyaux belonging to the 
Due d'Anjou, in 1360, shows that diamonds were 
then cut, although rudely. It makes special mention 
of several diamonds, and one in particular set in a 
reliquary, and cut in escutcheon. Other polished 
diamonds are described in the account given of 
the splendid entertainment given at the Louvre, by 
the Duke of Burgundy, to the King and Court of 
France. 

There is also evidence to prove that diamond lap- 
idaries were at work in Paris, when Berquen came 
to reside there. However, it was not until 1475, 
after Berquen returned to his native city, Bruges, 
that the mode of polishing diamonds by direct 

16 



242 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

abrasion became known in Europe. And when Charles 
the Bold intrusted the three famous gems to his skill, 
and rewarded him with 3,000 ducats for his labor, 
the name of Berquen became famous and widespread 
throughout Europe. 

Nearly two centuries after this success, Cardinal 
Mazarin attempted to establish the business of dia- 
mond-cutting in Paris, and confided to the lapidaries 
he had invited to reside there, twelve of the finest 
diamonds belonging to the Crown to be recut. These 
gems, from their beauty, and the circumstance of 
cutting, were called the twelve Mazarins. History 
has neglected to record the fate of these magnificent 
gems save one. In the inventory of the French jew- 
els in 1791, there is the solitary description, " the 
tenth Mazarin." The others have disappeared. 

The Cardinal made every attempt to establish the 
favorite project on a firm basis ; but they were in 
vain ; for the Dutch marine had complete control 
of most of the exports of India, and decided in favor 
of Amsterdam. Moreover, the establishment of the 
diamond trade in Holland was one of the indirect 
results of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and 
it was controlled by Israelite refugees from France. 
The business gradually languished at Paris, and of 
the seventy-five diamond-cutters of Mazarin's indus- 
try, but five were left in 1775 ; and soon after this, 
in spite of individual efforts and influences, it ceased 
altogether. Even at the recent period of 1852, Paris 
did not possess a single diamond-cutter. At this 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 243 

time M. Philippe resolved to make the attempt to 
revive the good intentions of Mazarin, and has thus 
far succeeded well. But, in spite of all the English 
and French opposition, the diamond trade is still 
controlled by the Amsterdam Jews, several thousand 
of whom are engaged in the business of cutting the 
stones. 

Diamond-cutting was also practised to some extent 
in London during the last century and the early part 
of this ; but concerning it we have learned but few 
particulars. It was conducted on strict mathematical 
principles, however ; and the gems cut during this 
time in London are eagerly sought for by amateurs, 
under the name of the "Old English Style." The 
brilliants of Ralph Potter, cut at the commencement 
of this century, are by far the finest exponents of 
the art as well as of the natural powers of the gem. 
Since the discovery of the African mines the London 
establishments have been actively engaged, and we 
also learn that branches of the business have been 
located in other cities of England. 

The process of diamond-cutting is a very simple 
matter to those acquainted with the nature of the 
gem. To cut the facets, two stones are cemented on 
two sticks and rubbed against each other until a 
facet is cut ; then the position of one of the stones is 
changed, and another flat surface cut. The process is 
thus continued until the gem is faceted all over, at 
the expense, however, of the other stone, which does 
most of the cutting. After the facets are cut, and a 



244 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

definite form given to the stone, the gem is placed in 
the hands of the polisher, who fastens it in solder, 
and then places it upon a small steel disk which re- 
volves horizontally with a rapidity of 1,500 to 3,000 
times a minute. This disk is moistened with dia- 
mond powder mixed with oil, and one facet is pol- 
ished at a time. The diamond-cutting proper is a 
rapid operation ; hut the polishing is slow and tedious. 
One cutter can generally furnish sufficient work for 
four or five polishers. 

There are a number of forms adopted by the lapi- 
daries for these gems, but the two principal ones are 
the brilliant and the rose. The first pattern, which 
was invented in Europe in the seventeenth century, 
is perhaps the best of all to call forth the powers of 
the gem. The second is of unknown age, and was 
practised by the Hindoos in ancient times. It affords 
the largest beams of light for the weight, but it 
lacks in colored reflections when compared with the 
brilliant. 

For the perfection of the rainbow play of hues, it 
is essential that the facets of the superior and inferior 
parts of the stone should correspond in exact pro- 
portions and at fixed distances, so as to multiply the 
reflections and refractions, and produce the colors 
of the prismatic spectrum. Therefore the perfect 
cutting of the diamond is a mathematical problem, 
governed by rigid laws. 

All limpid and white gems must be cut according 
to this rule, but in case of colored stones the case is 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 245 

far different ; for perfection of color is to be attained, 
and brilliancy is a secondary thought. Therefore a 
fine ruby or sapphire may be decidedly thin in form, 
and yet be a gem of great beauty and value. It is 
very rare we obtain the full perfection of brilliancy 
and color in the colored gems ; for generally the depth 
of the finest hues prevents a display of the refractive 
powers of the stone. 

The process of rifting diamonds by splitting them 
in their cleavage planes was known long ago to the 
Hindoos ; but, strange to say, it was forgotten by 
modern lapidaries until revived by Wollaston not 
many years ago. By this means masses of the crystal 
may be removed to escape a flaw or remove a spot, 
and yet preserve material that may be utilized, and 
which would have been lost by the process of grinding 
away the exterior. 

Some diamonds of the spheroidal form are defi- 
cient in cleavage planes, and are quite impracticable 
for cutting ; and the fact of the impossibility of pol- 
ishing them is sufficient proof of their peculiar origin, 
and that their form is not due to aqueous action. 

Others, known as bort, seem to be of concentric 
arrangement, as though crystallization radiated from 
the centre ; and it is very difficult to polish them. 
The Hindoos avail themselves of this natural cleav- 
age, and form table diamonds by adroitly striking 
along one of the planes of the stone with a sharp- 
edged tool, thereby separating the layers of the gem 
as the slate is rifted by the miner. 



246 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The operation, which seems so simple, really re- 
quires considerable skill and much of that acquired 
instinct or tact which is best exhibited by our West- 
ern Indians, who chip, with marvellous rapidity and 
certainty, a glass bottle into symmetrical arrow-heads. 
This method of reducing diamonds by cleavage was 
early known to the Hindoos, and is mentioned by 
Tavernier in an unmistakable manner in his published 
travels. 

The process of reduction by this means is very 
rapidly accomplished by the skilful workman. At 
a glance he ascertains the direction of the laminae, 
which remind one of the layers of the onion, and 
then cuts a small notch with another diamond in the 
place he selects. In this minute rift he places the 
edge of his blunt steel knife, and, tapping the back 
of it with a light iron rod, the diamond is split with 
perfect ease. By this process flaws and imperfections 
in the external layers of the stone are removed with- 
out delay. In reducing the natural diamond to a 
regular form much of its substance is lost, and some- 
times as much as one half of the weight of the stone. 
This loss, however, depends greatly upon the natural 
form of the crystal. The perfect octahedrons lose 
but one fifth of their v/eight when transformed into 
the shape of the brilliant; but the rhombohedrons 
lose over one third in taking the same form. 

The following will give the reader an idea of the 
losses of the rough stones when converted into fine 
gems. However, it must be remembered that these 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 247 

great stones are generally of irregular shape and are 
rarely of fine crystalline forms. The Mogul weighed 
in the rough 780| karats, but was reduced in cutting 
to 279 T ^- karats. The Eegent weighed 410 karats, 
reduced to 136^ karats. The Koh-i-noor weighed 
186jjkarats, reduced to 1021 L'Etoile du Sud, 254| 
karats, reduced to 124^. 

The process of cutting diamonds of large size is 
always attended with risk, and is necessarily a costly 
operation. The Eegent cost in cutting $25,000, and 
occupied two years' time. The Star of the South, 
which was cut by Coster, occupied but ninety days, 
and the Koh-i-noor only thirty-eight working days. 
This great feat in diamond-cutting was performed by 
the ablest of the Holland lapidaries, with the aid of 
steam power. Although the time expended was less 
than forty days, yet the cost of cutting is said to 
have been $40,000, which sum was lessened by the 
sale of the rifted fragments. 

The Oriental lapidaries, destitute of mechanical ap- 
pliances of any considerable aid, consumed years in 
cutting some of the paragons of India. This condition 
of affairs will explain the reason why the Armenian 
lapidaries asked the immense sum of $80,000 to cut 
the slab of diamond weighing 130 karats, which was 
captured by the Sultan of Persia at Coocha, in 1832. 

The process of diamond-cutting has within a few 
years been established in the United States, and is 
due to the energy and superior inventive talent of 
Mr. Henry D. Morse, of Boston. This gentleman 



248 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

conceived the idea of arranging a machine for the 
cutting and polishing of these gems, to enable the 
American jewellers to have their work performed at 
home, instead of sending it to Europe. 

While engaged in perfecting his appliances, chance 
threw in his way an itinerant vendor of porcelain, 
who had in former years served as laborer in the 
diamond ateliers of Amsterdam. The sight of the 
rough gems and the apparatus recalled to the Jew 
the scenes of his youth, and awakened a desire of 
renewing his former occupation; and he offered to 
perform the part of diamond-cutter. But, as the 
process was carefully considered, it was discovered 
that the Jew could only cut the facets of the diamond, 
and the art of the subsequent polishing he did not 
understand. It seemed strange that an artisan who 
possessed the rare ability to tell at a glance how 
large a gem the stone would cut, how to avoid in- 
ternal imperfections, and .how to take advantage of 
its cleavage planes, could not polish the facets after 
he had cut them. But such was the fact; for the 
two processes of cutting and polishing are widely 
different, and require separate instruction. However, 
the deficiency was soon supplied by an acquaintance, 
who was induced to leave Holland and act as polisher 
in the American diamond adventure. 

The establishment was now complete, but the 
business was at first confined to recutting and re- 
polishing gems that had been damaged by long use 
or accident. The inventive genius of Mr. Morse 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 249 

made several important changes in the machinery 
required by the lapidary, and displaced the rude and 
cumbersome apparatus of the old system. At first 
but two or three men were employed; but after the 
discovery of the South African diamond mines, the 
roughs gems imported to this country soon furnished 
material for a more extensive establishment than was 
at first contemplated ; and so the workshop was 
enlarged, and the workmen increased, until twenty- 
four polishing wheels were put in operation by steam 
power, and a force of thirty persons employed in the 
various parts of the process. At first none but for- 
eigners were employed in the labor ; but Mr. Morse 
believed that American ingenuity could master all 
the difficulties of the process, and finally succeeded in 
educating a corps of workmen who soon proved to 
be far superior to any of the artisans imported from 
the diamond-cutting establishments of Amsterdam. 
Now the atelier of Mr. Morse may be considered 
as essentially American both in its artists and its 
arrangements. 

Many fine gems of large size have been polished 
by Mr. Morse, and among them four of the great 
weight of fifty karats each. And very recently he has 
ventured to attempt the cutting of a great diamond 
from South Africa, weighing one hundred and twenty- 
five karats. The operation was a successful one, and 
after three and a half months' labor a beautiful gem 
of seventy-seven karats weight was obtained, which 
is greatly admired by amateurs and experts, not 



250 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

only on account of the rare beauty and perfection 
of the mineral itself, but also as a remarkable speci- 
men of workmanship in shaping its present form. 

The process of cutting the diamond is divided at 
Amsterdam into several distinct branches, and work- 
men are educated to perform one part, but not an- 
other. Thus the cleaving, the cutting, and the 
"polishing have special operators, who become expert 
in performing well the parts assigned to them with- 
out attempting the others. 

This ceremony and care adopted by the Jews has 
undoubtedly produced skilful workmen ; but we gee 
no reason why all the parts may not be perfectly 
acquired by an intelligent mechanic. The art of 
cleavage, however, requires tact, and ought to include 
some knowledge of mineralogy. 

For the particulars of the art of diamond-cutting, 
we will refer our readers to the interesting chapters 
by Jeffries, Ma we, and Barbot ; but we will, however, 
briefly mention some of the forms adopted for the 
diamond, and how they are produced. 

The table and the rose patterns were the first regular 
forms adopted by the lapidaries. The first was 
simply the top of the stone ground flat with a cor- 
responding flat bottom of less area, with its four 
upper and lower sides parallel to each other. As the 
light passed through the stone without much re- 
fraction, the beauty of the mineral was not developed 
by this pattern. 

It has been stated that the rose shape was 



CUTTING OF THE DIAMOND. 251 

invented in Paris under the auspices of Cardinal 
Mazarin, but Tavernier describes the diamonds of 
Aurungzeb of India as being of the rose-cut. 
Therefore we must give a more ancient date to the 
pattern than Mazarin's day. The form of the rose- 
cut is simply that of a hemisphere covered with 
small facets. Its flattened base is therefore admira- 
bly adapted for incrustation work, and the foil on 
which it is generally set serves as a refracting mirror 
for the entering rays of light. 

The fose pattern has several names which indicate 
the number of facets which they may bear. If it 
has but twelve or less facets it is called an Antwerp 
rose ; if but eighteen or twenty it is a semi-Holland, 
and a Holland rose if it bears twenty-four facets. 
At the present time these gems are not in much 
demand, unless for incrustation work, for which they 
are superior both in effect and in adaptability to the 
surface of the object to be ornamented. 

The form which appears to exhibit the splendors 
of the gem to the best advantage is that known as 
the brilliant, and is rightly named from its effects. 
It was discovered in Italy in the latter part of the 
seventeenth century by Peruzzi of Venice, which city 
was then one of the chief gem marts of the world. 
The conclusions which led to the adoption of the 
shape were derived from experiments upon colored 
stones. This form of the brilliant is that of the 
ancient deep table modified by receiving thirty-two 
facets above and twenty-four below its girdle. The 



252 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

great relative depth of the gem, aided by the numer- 
ous facets of the sides, appears to increase the natural 
refractive power of the stone by confining, as it were, 
the rays of light inside of it. 

Another pattern, called the brilliolette, shows the 
beautiful qualities of the gem to great advantage. 
It is formed like two rose diamonds joined together 
at the base ; or may be flattened and elongated like 
the almond, and faceted all over with small facets. 
This is the form of the Sancy, and should have 
been given to the Koh-i-noor and the Star" of the 
South. The Austrian yellow diamond is of this 
pattern, and was probably cut in India, but when 
and where is still a mystery. And it is thought 
that the famous twelve Mazarins were also cut after 
this shape. 

The star pattern, which was invented by Caire, is 
but little used at the present time. 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 253 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 

The testing of the diamond is generally an easy 
matter to the expert, but the merchant and the 
amateur are often unable to decide quickly concern- 
ing the character of a gem that may be offered to 
them. The learned Abbe* Haiiy was often called in 
consultation upon matters of this kind, and even 
appeared in court as an expert of diamonds. For- 
tunately, the methods of ascertaining the diamond 
beyond a doubt are now so easy and numerous that 
few attempts are made like those of the last century, 
when white topazes and zircons were sold or sub- 
stituted for diamonds. 

We may be permitted to say that the first and 
surest test of the gem is that of hardness, and that 
the diamond scratches all other substances with ease. 
The application of this test is not always made with 
facility, but a little practice with a rough crystal of 
diamond will soon enable the experimenter to per- 
form it satisfactorily. In performing the test for 
hardness for all gems it is well to be provided with 
a fine English file, and splinters of quartz, topaz, and 



254 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

sapphire. The file, adroitly applied, will detect the 
character of gems below the quartz in hardness, and 
the splinters above mentioned will determine all 
others but the diamond. 

In applying these tests, it is well to touch the 
middle of a facet, if the gem be polished, and remem- 
ber that the edges of many of the gems are very 
brittle. The diamond, for instance, although it is so 
very hard when its surface is directly tested, yet its 
thin edges, when cut into a gem, are broken down 
with the greatest ease ; therefore the test of hardness 
should be applied to the polished face of the stone. 

But when the stone has been polished and set in 
such a manner that the test of hardness cannot be 
easily applied, then the easiest method of distinguish- 
ing its character is to expose it to the rays of artifi- 
cial light and observe their effects. If the stone, 
when placed at a certain distance from the candle, 
flashes out the prismatic hues in a marked manner, 
then the observer may safely conclude that the ob- 
ject is either a diamond or one of the artificial gems 
known as strass. To distinguish them by means of the 
eye alone will be a difficult task, for both possess very 
high refractive powers and exhibit remarkable displays 
of the prismatic hues ; but the application of a frag- 
ment of diamond, sapphire, or topaz to the object will 
at once make known its character, and even the test 
of the steel file will betray the softuess of the glass. 

The transparent zircons closely approach the dia- 
mond in brilliancy, and are among the rarest of gems ; 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 255 

in fact, a fine specimen of perfect purity would be 
worth more to the amateur than a diamond of equal 
weight. The pure yellow are declared by King to be 
among the rarest and most beautiful of gems on 
account of their remarkable brilliancy and lustre. 
He-also states that they are seldom found above two 
karats in weight. 

The white zircon, which resembles the diamond so 
closely, is always minute and rarely above one karat 
in size. All that are known in commerce come from 
Matura, in Ceylon, and are sometimes called Matura 
diamonds. In times past they were in great demand 
for incrustation work of watches and jewelry, for 
when cut in the form of roses and set upon brilliant 
foil they could not be easily detected by the eye from 
the diamond. At the present day they are seldom 
seen in commerce, but whether from scarcity, or from 
an improvement in the ideas of honor in the jewel- 
lers, we are unable to state. We know, however, 
that they are still mined by the natives of Ceylon, 
and are used in Asia for ornamental purposes. The 
white spinel is sometimes mistaken for the adamas ; 
but its inferiority in harduess and its want of the 
prismatic hues render its detection easy. The white 
topaz, when of two or three karats weight, resembles 
the diamond in the rough very closely, especially 
when in the modified or gobular forms of crystalliza- 
tion. The degree of specific gravity is exactly the 
same ; but the test of hardness and the want of the 
prismatic display serve to dispel all doubts as to its 



256 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

nature. Neither of these gems, nor the white sap- 
phire, has that peculiar sharp flash of the diamond 
which is known as the adamantine eclat. It has 
been stated by Hoppe that some of the Brazilian 
diamonds do not exhibit any more play of color 
when cut than rock crystal ; but we have no doubt 
but that the writer is in error, and has probably been 
deceived by some of the white spinels or topazes 
which are sometimes found in the diamond mines of 
Brazil and are of great brilliancy. 

To estimate the value of a rough diamond and 
ascertain its purity is often a difficult task, and one 
that requires both education and tact. For the sur- 
face of the natural gem, especially the modified and 
spheroidal crystals, is generally dull and chatoyant. 
This singular appearance, which has been erroneously 
represented as a thin crust, is in reality produced by 
the salient edges of the laminae of which the stone 
js composed. The same or a similar effect may be 
artificially produced in the polished diamond by 
heating it to a white heat, as has been seen in the 
diamonds injured in the great fires of Hamburg and 
Chicago. 

Barbot, the French jeweller, declared that he had 
discovered a means by which the apparent rough, 
translucent coating could be changed into perfect 
transparency so as to give a clear view of the con- 
dition of the interior. This statement, however, is 
very much doubted by lapidaries. 

When the rough diamond is placed in turpentine, 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 257 

alcohol, or even water, it appears more transparent 
than before and like a bubble of air. We have there- 
fore sometimes thought that Barbot had really dis- 
covered some fluid of high refractive power, immersed 
in which the rough diamond became transparent. For 
it is a well-established fact known among chemists, 
that rough gems of a lower refractive power, like 
sapphire, chrysoberyl, spinel, etc., if placed in a fluid 
possessing an equal refractive energy, like that of 
muriate of antimony, become clear, and the observer 
is enabled to look through them. This discovery 
strengthens Barbot's statement and places it within 
the possibilities ; but as yet we know of no fluid 
that possesses a refractive power equal to the dia- 
mond. Topaz, emerald, and other gems of low 
refractive power can be readily examined by using 
the oil of cassia, which has the refractive energy 
of 1.64 

The rough diamonds often exhibit various colors, 
but generally of faint tints. Sometimes the hue is 
not perfectly distributed throughout the stone, but 
may be confined to a part of it, as in the sapphire, or 
even in one of its laminae. It is a singular fact that 
the external coverings of the mineral often contain 
the shades which render the rough gem of a disa- 
greeable hue, and which may be made to disappear 
by the process of cutting. Therefore, it sometimes 
requires experience and tact to determine the value 
of a rough diamond which possesses a decided hue. 
However, those stones which exhibit a greenish or 

17 



258 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

reddish color are considered safe stones for invest- 
ment, and will develop into superior gems after 
cutting. The bluish and the blackish are thought 
to be harder than the others ; while the yellowish 
and grayish colors indicate inferior stones. The 
brownish and yellowish hues may disappear in proc- 
ess of cutting, but there is greater uncertainty in 
these shades than in the others. Sometimes a stone 
which promises to yield a perfectly white gem, after 
cutting turns out to be of a decided disagreeable 
tinge. Therefore the cutting of a rough diamond is 
often attended with some hazard. 

The Hindoos have a practice of examining their 
stones before purchase by placing them in an aper- 
ture in the wall, with a lighted lamp in the rear. 
And to ascertain their color they take them under 
the cover of a tree thick with foliage, where the ver- 
dure of the shade quickly reveals any other tinge, 
especially the bluish. It is quite difficult to dis- 
tinguish the snow-white, except by contrast. The 
officers of the Junta Diamontina, in Brazil, have a 
rough way of testing the native diamonds from 
quartz, white topaz, and spinel, by rubbing them 
together close to the ear. The sharp tone which is 
thus produced is characteristic, but the test requires 
a keen and practised ear. 

Specific gravity is one of the best tests for deter- 
mining the nature of polished stones. By this means 
some of the precious minerals can be detected with 
ease, like the zircon and the emerald, notwithstanding 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 259 

their color. But when applied to the diamond the 
experimenter should remember that its weight is 
exactly that of the white topaz ; yet to distinguish 
them, the degree of hardness or the phenomena of 
electricity will at once enable the expert to discrimi- 
nate with ease and without a doubt. For the best 
methods of ascertaining the specific gravity of the 
stones, we must refer the reader to elementary works 
on chemistry and physics. 

The test of its electrical phenomena is an impor- 
tant one, as one can thereby almost instantly detect 
it from other gems, especially the white topaz. 
When rubbed it exhibits vitreous electricity like 
glass, but loses it in a very few moments. 

Another curious phenomenon, called single refrac- 
tion, enables the observer to distinguish the mineral 
from all other gems except the garnet and spinel, 
the others having double refraction, or, in other words, 
giving a double image of a candle-light when it is 
viewed through their facets. 

For the purpose of observing this phenomenon, 
Sir David Brewster invented an instrument which 
he called a lithoscope. It consisted of a small glass 
prism which moved around a fixed joint so that the 
lower surface of it could be laid upon the surface, or 
a facet of the stone to be examined. In this position, 
the two surfaces being parallel, the image reflected 
from the lower surface of the prism would coincide 
with that reflected from the surface of the stone. A 
drop of the oil of cassia or of sulphuret of carbon is 



260 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

placed between the prism and the facet, and then the 
observer turns a screw to raise the prism a little round 
its joint. The effect of this is to separate the image of 
a light or a small luminous aperture as given by the 
prism from that given by the facet ; and the differ- 
ence in the intensity and the color of these two 
images is an infallible indication of the nature of the 
stone. The image from the diamond will be many 
times brighter than that reflected from the face of 
the prism when testing any of the other precious 
stones. 

A simpler mode is sometimes adopted by ex- 
perts, but it requires some dexterity to exhibit the 
property. The method is this : the diamond is held 
up to the eye, and a needle point or a small hole 
pierced in a card is looked at. If the object is seen 
double, as if there were two needle points or two 
holes, then the stone examined is not a diamond, as 
but one aperture should be seen. 

With the aid of the tourmaline tongs, however, we 
have an easier method — subject to a few excep- 
tions — of detecting the properties of refraction of 
all gems even when they have been cut. The trans- 
parent tourmaline, when cut in thin plates parallel 
to the axes of its natural crystals, possesses the 
strange and extraordinary power of extinguishing or 
causing to disappear one of the rays of polarized 
light, while the other is preserved. Therefore, when 
a body possessing single refraction, although perfectly 
transparent, is placed between the two thin slices 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 261 

of tourmaline composing the tourmaline tongs or 
polariscope, no light passes through ; the instru- 
ment does not afford the least glimmer of a ray of 
light. But when the transparent body interposed in 
the polariscope is of double refraction, light passes 
through as if by magic. 

When the gem has been cut for ornamental pur- 
poses it is often difficult to adjust the faces of it to 
the plates of the polariscope. Then recourse may be 
had to the use of a glass cell containing a fluid of 
a high refractive power, like the oil of cassia, turpen- 
tine, sulphuret of carbon, etc. The stone immersed 
in these fluids admits the light in all directions, and 
is then easily viewed through the plates of the 
instrument. These fluids, however, are not of suffi- 
ciently high refractive powers to do justice to the 
diamond and the zircon, but they answer admirably 
for all gems of a less refractive power, like the va- 
rieties of sapphire, spinel, topaz, garnet, tourmaline, 
emerald, etc. 

The tourmaline tongs furnish the expert with a 
rapid and easy method of detecting many of the 
gems by reason of the phenomena of their refraction. 
But the experimentalist must be on his guard lest he 
pronounce substances to be of double when they 
really possess but single refraction. Glass has a 
tendency to crystalline regularity when heated and 
cooled suddenly, and may therefore acquire the prop- 
erty of polarizing the ray that passes the first plate 
of tourmaline and dispose of a part of that which 



262 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

passes the second. Certain minerals of the cubic 
system produce the same result by reason of a cer- 
tain rare but forced arrangement ; and some crystals, 
like the topaz, when cut in a certain direction to 
their optical axes cease to exhibit the phenomena of 
double refraction. 

One of the chief tests used by the jewellers of 
olden times to distinguish the diamond was the test 
of the tincture. This tincture was a varnish made of 
ivory black and mastic, and when applied to the 
back of the diamond seemed to increase its lustre, 
while other gems were impaired in their natural 
effects. Modern investigators, however, have shown 
that this procedure is a fallacious one, and is in 
reality one of the absurd traditions which have been 
attached to the gem from early times, like some of 
the supposed spiritual properties. 

A perfect diamond must stand the tests for purity, 
faultlessness, and transparency, and when these are 
carefully applied to the stone perfect gems will be 
found to be very rare. 

As we have said before, the diamond is the foulest 
of gems, and is exceedingly liable to be injured by 
faults, such as are described in the technical terms of 
the jewellers as ashes, gray spots, rusty places, flaws, 
cavities, fissures, veins, feathers, foreign bodies, wavy 
and vitreous spots. Very few diamonds can stand 
the test of the microscope and be pronounced per- 
fect. Still these microscopic faults are not to be 
considered in the commerce of the gem, but only 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 263 

in the study of its origin and nature. The jeweller 
may properly pronounce perfect the gem whose faults 
cannot be detected by the human eye. Even the 
magnificent Eegent has one small foul speck in it, 
according to Jeffries ; and Sir David Brewster found 
in th£ Koh-i-noor three specks, or rather cavities, in 
its central portion, which appeared to view in more 
or less distinctness according as the light reached 
them. 

After a diamond has been cut it is not easy to 
ascertain its degree of perfection without careful 
examination, and this occupies considerable time. 
And gems which appear at first glance to be pure 
and perfect are often found to be defective after 
examination. 

Babinet, of the French Institute, adopted the fol- 
lowing method to study the effects of the diamond, 
and it was his intention to apply the test during his 
leisure moments to the principal diamonds in France ; 
but other important labors diverted him from his 
purpose. He pierced a hole in a white card, a little 
larger than the diamond to be examined, and then 
passed a ray of sunlight or of the electric lamp 
through this hole. In the pathway of this ray, at a 
certain distance from the hole behind the card, he 
placed the diamond so that the ray of light fell upon 
the anterior surface of the stone. The rays reflected 
from this anterior surface, or, in other words, the table 
of the diamond, and those which pass through the 
stone are reflected back on the card, where they 



264 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

exhibit a white image of the table surrounded by 
small bands iridescent with the prismatic colors. By 
this simple method Babinet found that if the dia- 
mond had been well cut the colors were considerable 
in number, were well separated, and equally spread 
around the white reflection of the table. As each of 
these bands indicates one of the lustres of the stone, 
it is easy to estimate them both in number, quality, 
and symmetry. Therefore the observer can not 
only detect the errors of the cutting of the gem, 
but decide upon the form best adapted for the 
stone. 

The term used to express the weight of the dia- 
mond and all the gems is derived from the word 
Kcration, a kind of vetch, whose seeds, being gen- 
erally of a uniform weight, furnished the Orientals 
with the means of estimating the value of precious 
stones. It is supposed to represent the equivalent 
of four Troy grains, but by actual measurement 
the diamond karat weighs but 3-| Troy grains at 
the present day, and it may descend even lower 
in the scale, unless the unit be established by law. 
The history of the series of diminutions by which 
the karat has "reached its present weight is obscure, 
but as the term is supposed to represent four Troy 
grains it should equal them in reality. That it is a 
mere conventional weight is shown by its variance in 
European countries, as well as in the gem-producing 
countries of Asia. In making use of the term to ex- 
press the weight of precious stones we would suggest 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 265 

that it be written karat, as more in accordance 
with its derivation, and that the commonly accepted 
word carat be used when we wish to define the 
alloy of certain metals, like that of gold and silver 
coins. 

Before proceeding to the subject of the valuation 
of diamonds, we will say a few words concerning the 
imitations produced by the skill of man. Many at- 
tempts at imitating the diamond have been made by 
experimentalists for a long time past, and much in- 
genuity shown by them. To those of our readers 
who desire to study especially these experiments we 
will refer them to the works of Silliman, Hare, 
Latour, Saix, Despretz, Dumas, Ebleman and Gau- 
din, Mohler, St. Clair, Deville, Gaunal, Becquerel, 
Joyce, Cagnard de la Tour, Mactear, Hannay, and 
many other well-known experimenters. 

Despretz's experiments, which were based upon 
certain combinations of carbon, are deserving of men- 
tion. The chemists have discovered that in com- 
bining sulphur and carbon a colorless liquid is 
produced resembling water, and apparently contain- 
ing nothing but sulphur and carbon. Therefore, 
Despretz reasoned, if he could get rid of the sulphur 
by some manner, the carbon might be crystallized. 
And to obtain this result, the action of the volcanic 
battery offered the most plausible means. With the 
aid of this battery the experimenter really succeeded 
in obtaining on a thread of platina, passed through 
a solution containing carbon, some small crystalline 



266 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

depositions, which by their form and hardness seemed 
to be embryonic diamonds. But here the experi- 
ment ended. Nature refused to reveal her secrets. 

The alchemists of the Middle Ages seeking the 
transformation of gold from baser metals, have been 
well represented by the chemists of the present 
century attempting to imitate the diamond. Phi- 
losophy and science have united their efforts in these 
fascinating experiments ; but Nature still defies the 
most determined efforts of art in respect to the 
reproduction of the diamond. 

The mineral appears to be an allotropic form of a 
simple elementary body which Nature offers to us 
with lavish hand. And when we consider the tri- 
umphs of chemistry, the process of transforming this 
element into the coveted form does not seem to be 
so very difficult to the casual thinker. But Nature 
is stubborn in revealing her simple acts. However, 
we are not without faith in these determined efforts 
of scientific skill ; for we know that art now pro- 
duces the brother of the diamond, graphite, at will. 
And we see that at the soda works at Aussig this 
form of carbon is obtained as a secondary product by 
the decomposition of cyanogen and its combinations. 
We do not, however, look forward with much pleas- 
ure to the realization of this idea ; for success in 
producing the diamond will annihilate at a single 
blow an important article of commerce, and rob 
ornamentation and investment of one of its most 
desired objects. 



TESTING OF THE DIAMOND, ETC. 267 

Art, however, in its researches on this subject, has 
succeeded in producing a glass which, when cut, ap- 
proaches very closely the brilliancy and prismatic 
display of the diamond. The artificial gems made 
from this glass, which is supposed to have thallium 
as a base, instead of lead, are really superior exam- 
ples of art. "Nothing but glass," is a phrase too 
often used contemptuously and unjustly; for these 
imitations are quite as charming as the adamas it- 
self. In the flash of their rainbow hues, they surpass 
some of the great diamonds, like the Koh-i-noor ; 
and in brilliancy they exceed all other gems. Their 
refraction reaches 2 on the established scale, while 
that of the diamond is reckoned at 2.4, and that of 
the sapphire, 1.79. They lack, however, hardness ; 
and the effect of time dims their lustre. But this 
defect may yet be remedied; for the ancients made 
glass quite as hard as quartz. And when we come 
to examine those wonderful specimens of ancient 
glass, with their exquisite colorings, exhumed by 
General Di Cesnola in the Phoenician tombs of Cy- 
prus, who will venture to establish a limit to the 
art of glass-making? Even within the past few 
years, a process has been discovered by which the 
elasticity and hardness of glass have been increased 
to a remarkable degree ; and if the defect of brittle- 
ness can be overcome, a new era in glass-making will 
have been reached. 

Artificial diamonds are often worn at the present 
day; and the fair wearer consoles herself with the 



268 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

hope that, when sunnier days come, the artificial will 
give place to the real. It will not be soon forgotten 
by the votaries of fashion, that the Duchesse de Berri, 
arriving in France, received for her bridal ornaments 
only the imitation, and that she wore them. 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 269 



CHAPTEE XIV. 

VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 

The history of the commercial value of the dia- 
mond, extending back to a distant period of time, 
forms an interesting chapter for the philosopher as 
well as the merchant. It would appear that the gem 
had been comparatively independent of the caprice 
of fashion, and that it has had for many years a 
value quite as fixed as gold or silver. This compara- 
tive valuation only applies to the snow-white dia- 
monds, and to those whose imperfections are not 
readily discernible to the naked eye. 

In estimating the value of diamonds, Barbot di- 
vides their shades into fifteen degrees, as follows : 
In the first degree he places the rare diamonds which 
exhibit the vivid gleam like the flash of polished 
steel ; second degree, snow-white, first water ; third 
degree, white, first water ; fourth degree, white, with 
faint shades, red, yellow, and blue ; fifth degree, 
white, yellow, or green, second water ; sixth degree, 
grayish-yellow or green, second water; seventh de- 
gree, orange yellow ; eighth degree, translucent topaz 



270 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

yellow ; ninth degree, translucent deep green ; tenth 
degree, translucent brick-red ; eleventh degree, trans- 
lucent deep red ; twelfth degree, quite opaque, dingy- 
blue ; thirteenth degree, quite opaque, deep bottle 
green ; fourteenth degree, quite opaque, brown or 
blackish ; fifteenth degree, quite opaque, black as 
jet. 

In ancient times, the gem probably had no fixed 
commercial value, and was sought for as a curiosity 
or as a talisman. In the fifteenth and sixteenth 
centuries, the goldsmiths of Italy, which was then 
the richest country in the world, established a com- 
parative valuation for the four precious stones, ruby, 
emerald, diamond, and sapphire. From these ac- 
counts we learn that the diamond of one karat was 
valued at 100 gold scudi, and that the emerald was 
estimated at 400, and the red sapphire, or ruby, at 
800, or eight times the price of the adamas. These 
valuations, if we estimate the scudi at nine English 
shillings, make a diamond of one karat worth $225, 
and the ruby of the same weight at $1,800, or 
nearly two thousand dollars, a statement which is 
quite incredible. 

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and 
even before these dates, Venice was the chief gem 
mart of Europe. Her merchants had control of a 
great part of the trade with the Eastern countries ; 
and most of the Oriental luxuries passed through 
their hands. From the account of the auction sale, 
in the year 1606, of the effects of a diamond 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 271 

merchant in that city, we learn the value of dia- 
monds of one karat weight at that time. They were 
then valued at £21 13s. 4c?., which was an enormous 
sum, compared with the value of money at the pres- 
ent day. 

In 1750, the price of the stone in Europe was 
$40 "for one-karat gems. This was just "before the 
discovery of the Brazilian mines. The sudden influx 
of the gems reduced the price shortly after to $5 per 
karat ; but the market soon recovered from the panic, 
and in 1791, at the time the inventory of the French 
jewels was made, the price had arisen to $30 for 
the same class of diamonds. Since this period, the 
prices have varied, from the influences of the wars 
of Europe, sinking at the time of the disturbances 
of the Revolution of 1848, to $20 and $25 per karat. 
But after the year 1850, the price of the gem steadily 
advanced, and in 1865, its quotations were almost 
the same as that of Venice in 1606. This compari- 
son, however, should not be made without remem- 
bering the vast difference in the value of money of 
the two periods. 

The valuations of the diamond for more than a 
century past have been based upon the form of the 
brilliant, while those of the star, table, rose, and 
others, have been valued at lesser and sometimes 
almost nominal prices. 

The price of the rose diamonds has been affected 
by the views of fashion for a long time, and a^ the 
present day we are unable to establish any fixed scale. 



272 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

We will, however, append the views of some of the 
gem experts as to the valuation of this pattern, 
during the past two centuries. 

Kobert de Berquen, in 1669, valued the rose cut 

of 1 karat at 100 francs. 



2 


u 


500 


4 


a 


" 1,500 


8 


a 


" 6,000 


10 


t< 


" 9,000 



This estimate, however, was not founded upon any 
•principle ; and it was not until the celebrated Taver- 
nier formed his rule for the valuation of the rose cut, 
that the diamond had any definite value. Tavernier, 
in 1692, took for an example a rose of one karat, of 
fine water, white, and of good form, and fixed the val- 
uation at 150 francs, and for gems of greater weight 
multiplied this figure by the square of their weight. 
The justly celebrated jeweller and traveller also 
followed the same rule with fine diamonds that were 
not of regular form. The brilliant cut was not then 
known. 

In 1858, in France, the comparative values were : 
for one karat, fine brilliant cut, 300 francs ; for one 
karat, fine rose cut, 200 francs. 

The following list has been kindly furnished me 
by Henry D. Morse, Esq., of Boston, as giving the 
value of diamonds in the United States at the present 
time, January, 1884. The prices have fluctuated 
considerably during the past year, and the estimates 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 



273 



given are wholesale prices, and regarded as being 
quite low for fine stones : — 



Lots averaging \ 


karat 


each, 


$60 


per 


karat 


a << 3 
4 


<( 


a 


80 


<« 


u 


" " 1 


n 


(< 


100 


tt 


(( 


H 


a 


(( 


110 


CI 


(( 


« H 


a 


u 


125 


cc 


C( 


if 


a 


t< 


145 


t< 


(C 


« « 2 


<( 


u 


175 


u 


(( 



Above two karats the prices are not much increased 
per karat, because of their not being as much in de- 
mand. Stones of five karats and upwards, being very 
slow to sell, at the present time can be bought at $175 
to $200 per karat, of the same qualities as the two- 
karat stones quoted above. Very extra white perfect 
stones, when well cut, bring, when sold singly or few 
at a time, from 20 to 25 per cent more than the prices 
quoted. The lower grades of stones are generally 
sold in lots, and the sizes do not make much differ- 
ence in price. The larger they are the less desirable, 
and oftentimes stones of from five to ten karats 
are sold cheaper than stones of one to two karats ; 
the price depending upon the shade of color and 
skill in cutting. Lots of this description can be 
bought for from $75 to $90 per karat. If the tinge 
is a little more decided they will bring but $60 per 
karat. The yellow diamonds even ranging as high 
as ten to twenty karats bring about $45 per karat. 
Flawy stones bring from $15 to $35 per karat, ac- 
cording to their color, size, and brilliancy. Fine rough 

18 



274 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

stones of assorted sizes, varying from three to- ten 
karats, bring from $30 to $45 per karat according 
to their shape and perfection. Smaller sizes are 
reckoned in value from $15 to $20 per karat. 
Cheaper grades and off-colored crystals are sold as 
low as $8 to $12 per karat. The bort diamonds 
vary in value ; those coming from Africa bring but 
$1.50 per karat, while the same variety found in 
Brazil bring $6. The carbon variety of the best sizes 
bring about $20 per karat. Fifteen years ago the 
same mineral could be bought for $2.50 per karat ; 
while the Brazilian bort was quoted at $9. 

Of colored diamonds, those slightly tinged with 
various colors, especially the yellow and brown, were 
valued in London and Amsterdam, in 1872, as 
follows : — 

Under 1 karat 

1 to 2 " 

2 " 3 " 

The following account of Cape of Good Hope dia- 
monds which were sold by auction at Covent Garden, 
February, 1872, may interest the reader in com- 
parison with other sales at various periods of time : — 

One white rough diamond, 9-| karats, £60; one 
slightly off color, 7| karats, £37 ; a curious cabinet 
specimen of native diamond in matrix, £14 , one large 
rough gem, drop shape, 14^ karats, £42. Among the 
cut diamonds the following were sold : a magnificent 
brilliant, 8 karats, 430 guineas ; a fine yellow bril- 
liant of great lustre, 7|- karats, 140 guineas ; a bril- 



30s. 


to 


£2 10s. 


per karat, 


40 


(< 


4 10 


a a 


£3 


(< 


5 10 


<( << 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 275 

liant of great spread and good water, about 7|- karats, 
140 guineas ; a large, lustrous brilliant of fine color 
weighing about 7 karats, 480 guineas ; a court tiara 
of five graduated brilliant stars, 185 guineas ; a bril- 
liant necklace of forty graduated collets, £300. 

The following sale by auction, in London, of some 
of the Imperial jewels belonging to the Empress 
Eugenie, may also interest the reader; and we have 
therefore thought proper to insert the account. It 
took place in July, 1872, at the rooms of Christie, 
Manson, & Co. : — 

Lots 16 and 17. A bracelet, with forget-me- 
nots formed of turquoises and small diamonds, and 
another, with pearls and diamonds, — 175 guineas. 
(Attenborough.) 

22, 23. A heart-shaped locket, formed of bands of 
brilliants, and a pair of gold solitaires, with large 
diamond centres, — 215 guineas. (Copeland.) 

24. A very small keyless watch, with E. in dia- 
monds, with gold chain, set with rubies and emer- 
alds, — 120 guineas. (Agnew.) 

26. A chased gold snuff-box, the top set with 
flowers in brilliants, with the Pasha of Egypt's ci- 
pher in brilliants on blue enamel, — 165 guineas. 
(B. Benjamin.) 

33. A brooch, with pendants, formed of five large 
turquoises and brilliants, — 105 guineas. (Streeter.) 

35. A brilliant brooch, with sprays set with bril- 
liants, — 120 guineas. (Attenborough.) 

36. A pair of large pink pearl ear-rings in enamelled 
setting with brilliants, — 105 guineas. (Thompson.) 



276 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

37. A heart-shaped pendant, formed of a fine large 
turquoise surmounted by brilliants, — 250 guineas. 
(Martin.) 

38, 39. A large black pearl, with brilliant top, 
and a heart-shaped brilliant locket, — 300 guineas. 
(Woodgate.) 

40. A pair of shell-shaped brilliant ear-rings with 
pearl centres and drops, — '106 guineas. (B. Benjamin.) 

41. A brilliant brooch, formed as a corn-flower 
and group of foliage, — - 348 guineas. (Phillips.) 

43-45. A ring with a large brilliant, a fine single 
stone brilliant rins?, and a ring with a lame brilliant 
and two fine emeralds, — 485 guineas. (Woodgate.) 

46. A ring, with a splendid ruby and two bril- 
liants, — 300 guineas. (Challens.) 

47, 48. Three very fine emeralds, set as a ring, 
and a pair of hairpins formed as rosebuds, of pink 
pearls and brilliants, — 275 guineas. (Gibbons.) 

49. A marquise ring, with a pink diamond sur- 
rounded by brilliants, formerly the property of the 
Empress Josephine, — 400 guineas. (Martin.) 

50. A beautiful pendant, the centre a fine emerald, 
surrounded by bands of brilliants, with emerald and 
pearl drop, — 605 guineas. (Brown.) 

51. 52. A group of three wheat-ears tied with a 
ribbon formed of fine brilliants, making a brooch or 
head ornament, and the companion group, — 975 
guineas. (Lennox.) 

53, 54. A group of two wheat-ears, en suite, and 
the companion group, — £810. (Martin.) 

55. A fine pendant, with a' large square emerald, 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 277 

surrounded by brilliants, with very large pearl drop, 
— 620 guineas. (Ford.) 

56. A scroll-pattern brilliant brooch, for a miniature, 
with large pearl drop, — 470 guineas. (Challens.) 

57. A broad chain-band bracelet, with sapphire 
and two large brilliants, — 340 guineas. (Lomax.) 

58. Two fine emeralds and three large brilliants, 
mounted as a bracelet, — 810 guineas. (Hancock.) 

59. A beautiful cross, formed of eleven large bril- 
liants, — 900 guineas. (Carter.) 

60. A ribbon tie brilliant brooch, — 335 guineas. 
(Grindley.) 

61. A handsome pendant of brilliants and pearls, 
with a fine large black pearl centre and drop, — 420 
guineas. (Martin.) 

62. Two fine large brilliants and an emerald 
mounted on a buckle set with small brilliants, — 
430 guineas. (Harborough.) 

64. A splendid brooch, formed as a rosebud and 
leaves, composed entirely of brilliants, — 820 guineas. 
(Attenborough.) 

65. A magnificent bracelet, with sapphire centre, 
surrounded by rubies, brilliants, and emeralds, — £650. 
(Eothschild.) 

67. A fine large pearl, mounted as a hairpin of 
chased gold, with chain set with small diamonds, — 
188 guineas. (Chapman.) 

68. A splendid fly brooch, the body a very large 
opal, the head and wings set with rubies, brilliants, 
emeralds, sapphires, and opals, — £320. (Greenwood.) 



278 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

69. A beautiful watch, in blue enamel setting, sur- 
rounded by eleven large brilliants, suspended from 
a hook, set with a cluster of brilliants, — £1,660. 
(James.) 

70, 71. A fine polished emerald, surrounded by 
brilliants, and a bracelet with splendid ruby centre 
and large brilliants, — 975 guineas. (Hancock.) 

72, 73. A brooch, formed as an anchor, composed 
entirely of brilliants, and the companion brooch, — 
J6 2,150. (Eaton.) 

74. A tiara, formed of a band of brilliants, the 
centre a cluster of fine brilliants and emeralds, sur- 
mounted by a large oval emerald, with brilliant 
sprays and pearl drop, — 780 guineas. (Challens.) 

75. A bracelet, the centre a very fine sapphire 
surrounded by large brilliants, with trellis pattern 
open-work bands, studded with brilliants, — £1,105. 
(Martin.) 

76. 77. A brilliant set as a brooch, with fine pearl 
drop, and a brilliant brooch with colored stone centre 
and pearl drop, — 730 guineas. (Keane.) 

78. A brilliant tiara, formed as a group of leaves, 
— £970. (Carter.) 

79. A pearl necklace, composed of forty-one large 
pearls of the highest quality, with cluster brilliant 
snap, — £2,400. (Marquis of Bristol.) 

80-84. A pair of polished emerald drops, four pairs 
of larger ditto, and a single ditto, — 750 guineas. 
(Masters.) 

85-89. Two pairs of emerald drops, with bril- 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 279 

liant tops, three pairs of larger ditto, — 550 guineas. 
(Carter.) 

90-92. Three pairs of very large emerald drops, — 
£1,275. (Garrard.) 

93-103. A brooch, with a fine large emerald sur- 
rounded by brilliants, nine larger ditto, and one 
with a square emerald, — 5,000 guineas. (Keane.) 

104-106. A brooch with emerald centre, surrounded 
by fine brilliants, with emerald and brilliant drop, and 
two larger ditto, — £3,525. (Graham.) 

107. A tiara, composed of ten fine large emeralds, 
surrounded by bands of brilliants, — £2,625. (Keane.) 

108. A brilliant brooch, formed as a group of 
leaves, with six large brilliant drops and pendants, 
set with smaller brilliants, — 1,050 guineas. (Keane.) 

109-111. Three brilliant pendants composed of very 
fine large stones, with brilliant drops and pendants of 
false pearls, — 2,600 guineas. (Keane.) 

112. A bracelet, composed entirely of brilliants, 
the centre an oval sapphire, — £2,250. (Carter.) 

113. A pair of long ear-rings composed of very 
large brilliants, — £3,255. (Stevens.) 

114. A brilliant brooch, formed as a double pink, 
— £1,470. (Stevens.) 

The whole realized upwards of £50,000 ($250,000) 
gold. 

The quantity of diamonds now in circulation in 
fashion, and hoarded bv commerce, is enormous, and 
may be estimated by the ton. Yet the requirements 
of society and the arts are so vast that the gem 



280 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

apparently seems to be a rare stone, while in reality 
it ranks low down in the scale of rarity. 

Although we believe that there are immense dia- 
mond placers yet to be discovered in Africa, Asia, and 
America, we do not think that the gem will ever 
lose its high rank in the wants of fashion and orna- 
mentation, or that its price will ever again descend 
to the valuation of 1848 except in transient times of 
far-extended commercial distress. The misfortunes 
of any one country will not affect the established 
price to any great extent, since the demand from 
other countries is so great as to preserve a well- 
marked equilibrium. 

India, with its millions of people who prefer to 
invest their gains in a gem to all other known prop- 
erty, will furnish an eager market for the diamond 
for many ages to come. The history of the influx 
and absorption of silver by that country furnishes 
an interesting parallelism. 

Most of the people of the earth entertain supersti- 
tious fancies, and especially invest the gems with 
spiritual powers or special attributes. Hence the 
innate love of ornament, combined with the desire 
of possessing a rare treasure, will always give to the 
gems a prestige and a commercial value above all 
other things. Puritanical morality may rail against 
the gems as luxuries ; but the nature of man must 
be changed before these ideas can be universally 
adopted. The refinements of civilization, as well as 
the follies of barbaric ages, call for the ornamentation 



VALUE OF THE DIAMOND. 281 

of jewels and gems. And modern economy may, 
with Tiberius, complain in vain of that " rage for 
jewels and precious stones which drains the empire of 
its wealth, and sends, in exchange for its baubles, the 
money of the commonwealth to foreign nations." 

A brilliant writer has lately stated that " Pictures, 
gems," china, bronzes, bric-a-brac of every sort, rare 
shawls, rare engravings, and even rare fruits, flowers, 
and dogs are steadily tending upwards in value, as it 
their price depended upon a want and not a caprice. 
It is the most curious illustration of the unchangea- 
bleness of the law which governs even caprices that 
we are acquainted with • and tends to indicate that 
the desire for the rare, which we all notice and smile 
at, in bibliopoles, antiquarians, entomologists, and 
every variety of the genus collector, is not an excep- 
tionable eccentricity, but a permanent attribute of 
the human mind, though only noticed in those who 
have wealth to indulge in some unusual or splendid 
form. It is like the desire of accumulation, one of 
the passions, and not one of the mere tastes of men ; 
and may be relied on in business, almost as certainly 
as self-interest, vanity, or ambition." 

The relative worth of the diamond has never been 
better described than by the following lines from the 
pen of an able English author : — 

"It is in truth the very essence of property. It is 
riches condensed and wealth secured ; too small to be seen 
by the midnight burglar; too easily hid to be seized by 
the tyrant ; and too quickly carried away to be wrested 



282 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

from the patriot exile or torn from the hunted, outlaw. 
In vain would the vanquished monarch strive to remove 
his bags of gold, or transport his territorial domains ; hut 
a diamond is an empire made portable, with which he 
might purchase a better kingdom, and mount a prouder 
throne. Had the treasure of Croesus been invested in 
brilliants he might have founded a nobler Lydia beyond 
the reach of his Persian invader." 



THE EMERALD. 



'• The emerald burns intensely bright, 
With radiance of an olive light ; 
This is the faith that highest shines, 
ITo need of charity declines, 
And seeks no rest and shuns no strife, 
In working out a holy life." 

Marbodexts. 



THE EMERALD. 285 



THE EMEEAID. 

Dutens and several others who have written upon 
gems and precious stones during the last two centu- 
ries, have asserted that the ancients were unac- 
quainted with the true emerald, and that Heliodorus, 
when speaking nearly two thousand years ago of 
" gems green as a meadow in the spring," or Pliny, 
when describing stone of a " soft green lustre," 
referred to the peridot, the plasma, the malachite, 
or the far rarer gem, the green sapphire. But the 
antiquary has come to the rescue with the treasures 
of the despoiled mounds of Tuscany, the exposed 
ashes of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and now ex- 
hibits emeralds which were mounted in gold two 
thousand years before Columbus dreamed of the 
New World, or Pizarro and his remorseless band 
gathered the precious stones by the hundred-weight 
from the spoils of Peru. 

Although these specimens of antique jewelry set 
with emeralds may be numbered by the score or 
more in the museums and' reliquaries of Europe, 
but very few engraved emeralds have descended to 
us from ancient times. This rarity is not due to the 



286 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

hardness of the stone, for the ancient lapidaries cut 
the difficult and still harder sapphire ; therefore we 
must believe the statement of the early gem-writers 
that the emerald was exempted from the glyptic art 
by common consent on account of its beauty and 
costliness. 

Stones possessing a green color have been used 
for ornamental purposes from the very earliest peri- 
ods of the social life of man. And as we review 
the archaeological history of the human race, it 
would seem as though minerals of this hue had been 
especially selected among all others for ornamental 
purposes. 

For instances of this primitive selection, we will 
refer to the green stone hatchets found among the 
ancient tombs of Brittany; the axe heads of jade 
in New Caledonia ; the green serpentine imple- 
ments of Africa; the articles carved from green 
zoisite, revered among the Chinese from time im- 
memorial; as well as the green jade and amazon 
stones, which the Mexicans wrought with wondrous 
skill into strange and grotesque forms, and which 
they prized above even their magnificent and match- 
less emeralds. It is also clearly evident that the 
emerald was discovered in very ancient times, and 
that it was early adopted in ornamentation, and 
was prized as among the most valuable of the gems, 
if not the highest in estimation, for its color and 
fancied virtues. 

Pliny was undoubtedly familiar with the true 



THE EMERALD. 287 

emerald, and expressed his satisfaction in the fol- 
lowing language : — 

" There is no color so pleasing to the eye as that of the 
emerald. Whoever delights in the verdure of hero and 
leaf must enjoy infinitely more the contemplation of em- 
erald*; for no verdure can compare to theirs. They are 
the only stones that charm the eye without wearying it. 
It loses its lustre neither in sun nor in shade, nor in 
artificial light. It shines continually with the same soft 
glow." 

In the time of Alexander, the emblems of author- 
ity of the Persians consisted of golden imitations of 
vines, loaded with clusters of emeralds, carbuncles, 
and other gems. At the famous marriage feast of 
Alexander and his eighty companions with their 
beautiful Persian brides, emeralds appear to have 
been the favorite gem used, and to have been es- 
teemed above all other ornaments except the beauti- 
ful pearls of the Persian Gulf. 

In ancient times this gem was not only prized as 
i ornament, but also as a talisman, and even as a 
medicine in the powdered state. Its beauty capti- 
vated the vain and frivolous, and its supposed virtues 
endeared it to the rich and the wise. It was sup- 
posed to exercise a good effect upon the eyesight; 
hence it was worn as a seal to be looked at ; when 
worn as an amulet it endowed the wearer with 
courage, drove away evil spirits, assuaged terror, and 
prevented attacks of epilepsy. 



288 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Pliny states that Paulina, at the Banquet, was 
literally covered with emeralds and pearls, arranged 
over her dress in alternate rows. 

The famous and fatal ring which Polycrates cast 
into the sea, as an offering to the gods in return for 
forty years of prosperity, was set with a beautiful 
emerald. 

The ancient Etruscans carved the emerald at a very 
remote period, and the fact is proven by the scara- 
beus in the Townley collection. 

The Castellani collection exhibits ear-rings of gold 
set with pendants of emeralds which were found in 
the tombs at Bolsena. 

In the Devonshire gems there is a large emerald 
cut into a Gorgon's head, in high relief, — evidently a 
gem of great antiquity and of exceeding value at the 
time of its conversion into a work of art. 

Within the sarcophagus of Maria Honorii fifty 
rings set with different stones were found, and 
among them an emerald set in gold and engraved 
with a head supposed to be that of Honorius him- 
self. It was probably fashioned for a royal signet 
and buried with the remains of its owner. 

The famous mirror or lens, in or through which 
the cruel and near-sighted Nero was wont to view 
the bloody combats in the arena at Eome, is supposed 
to have been cut from an emerald ; but it was prob- 
ably a lens cut from green glass. 

It appears,- however, from the researches of the 
antiquaries, that the gem was very rare until the 



THE EMERALD. 289 

Imperial epoch, when they were introduced from 
Asia and other countries in accordance with the lux- 
ury and extravagance of the age. Castellani's col- 
lection displays some fine examples of the jewelry 
of this period set with emeralds. Among them there 
is a beautiful necklace formed of sixteen natural 
crystals of emerald fastened in gold ; and also another 
composed of ten natural crystals of emerald set in 
double chains of gold. Among the engraved gems 
may be seen an emerald intaglio, representing a 
Nereid on a sea bull, and two other intaglios of 
beryl, with pictures of Mars, and a portrait of 
Julia Paula. 

From the earliest times of history monarchs and 
potentates of all ranks and races, from Solomon to 
Montezuma, were wont to wear signet rings, which 
were sometimes engraved, and were then often used 
to impart authority either by the exhibition of the 
ring itself, or its impression upon papyrus, parchment, 
or wax. The most celebrated ring of this description 
we have any authentic knowledge of, was that formed 
of a large emerald set in gold and worn by Alexander 
the Great, whose portrait was engraved upon the 
stone. The hero, when dying, bestowed it upon his 
favorite general, Perdiccas, and thereby invested him 
with the authority of succession. History refuses 
to make known the fate of this splendid gem. It is 
probable that Ptolemy Soter obtained possession of 
it when Perdiccas was slain in Egypt, and that even- 
tually Augustus Caesar may have worn it for his first 

19 



290 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

imperial seal, which was an emerald engraved with 
the head of Alexander. 

After the death of Pompey in Egypt, his seal ring, 
which represented a lion holding a sword in his paw, 
was taken to Eome and presented to Caesar, who 
burst into tears on receiving the signet of his former 
associate and unfortunate rival. 

The practice of interring with the dead some of 
the jewels worn in life, has been practised in recent 
times. When Cardinal Borromeo was buried at Milan 
two hundred years ago or more, a large gold cross, 
containing seven large and fine emeralds surrounded 
with diamonds, was placed in his tomb. When Lord 
Palmerston was buried at Westminster Abbey, the 
officiating clergyman threw into the grave several 
diamond and gold rings as a peace offering. In 
ancient times the custom was of frequent occurrence, 
and to this habit we owe the preservation of many 
beautiful gems and jewels, which have in this man- 
ner escaped the pillage and fury of thieves and 
iconoclasts. 

The mineral has borne the name of emerald since 
the middle of the seventeenth century, at which time 
it was adopted by the mineralogist, Wallerius. But 
whence it is derived, and on what particular grounds, 
we are not informed. In Asia, in ancient times, it 
was described under the Sanskrit name, "marakat," 
which is connected with " esmark," signifying a sea 
monster, or " makara," meaning the sea. As it passed 
westward, among the Persians it became " zabargat," 



THE EMERALD. 291 

and still farther on its journey it was changed by the 
Greeks and Latins into " smaragdus." The derivation 
of its ancient terms is also exemplified by the use 
or purposes in which the gem and its varieties were 
used. It was therefore frequently chosen by the 
antique gem cutters and engravers, as the proper 
material for the representation of all maritime sub- 
jects or any allusions to the sea gods. 

The emerald is now one of the rarest of gems ; and 
its scarcity gives rise to the inquiry as to what has 
become of the abundant shower of emeralds which 
fairly rained upon Spain during the early days of 
the conquest of Mexico and Peru, bringing down the 
value of fine stones to a trifling price. As with all 
commercial articles, there is a waste and loss to be 
accounted for during the wear of three centuries ; but 
this alone will not explain their present rarity in 
civilized countries. Even in the times of Charles II., 
when the destitution of the country was extreme, 
the Dukes of Infantado and Albuquerque had mil- 
lions in diamonds, rubies, and precious stones, yet 
hardly possessed a single sou. So impoverished was 
the land, and so slender were the purses of all, that 
the Duke of Albuquerque dined on an egg and a 
pigeon, yet it required six weeks to make an inven- 
tory of his plate. At this period, when the nobles 
gave fetes the lamps were often decorated with 
emeralds and the ceilings garlanded with precious 
stones. The women fairly blazed with sparkling 
gems of fabulous value, while the country was 



292 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

starving. Most, if not all, of this missing treasure 
was transferred to Asia, and with the> silver current 
which flowed steadily from the Spanish coffers into 
India went many of the emeralds also ; for in those 
regions this gem is regarded as a foreign stone, and 
the natives, investing it with the possession of cer- 
tain talismanic properties, prize it above all earthly 
treasures. 

When the Spaniards commenced their march 
toward the capital of Mexico, they were aston- 
ished at the magnificence of the costumes of the 
chiefs who came to meet them as envoys or join 
them as allies ; and among the splendid gems which 
adorned their persons they recognized emeralds and 
turquoises of such rare perfection and beauty that 
their cupidity was excited to the highest degree. 
During the after years of conquest and occupation 
the avaricious spoilers sought in vain for the parent 
ledge where these precious stones were found. Ee- 
cent times have, however, revealed the home of the 
Mexican turquoise, which has proved to be in the 
northern part of Mexico, as the Totonacs informed 
the inquiring Spaniards. The first of these mines, 
which is of great antiquity, is situated in the Cer- 
rillos Mountains, eighteen miles from Santa Fe- 
The deposit occurs in soft trachyte, and an immense 
cavity of several hundred feet in extent has been 
excavated by the Indians while searching for this 
gem in past times. Probably some of the fine tur- 
quoises worn by the Aztec nobles at the time of the 



THE EMERALD. 293 

Spanish Conquest came from this mine. Another 
mine is located in the Sierra Blanca Mountains 
in New Mexico, but the Navajos will not allow 
strangers to visit it. Stones of transcendent beauty 
have been taken from it, and handed down in the 
tribe from generation to generation as heirlooms. 
Nothing tempts the cupidity of the Indians to dis- 
pose of these gems, and gratitude alone causes them 
to part with any of these treasures, which, like the 
mountaineers of Thibet, they regard with mystical 
reverence. The Navajos wear them as ear-drops, by 
boring them and attaching them to the ear by means 
of a deer sinew. Lesser stones are pierced, then 
strung on sinews, and worn as necklaces. Even the 
nobler Ute Indians, when stripping the ornaments of 
turquoise from the ears of the conquered Navajos, 
value them as sacred treasures, and refuse to part 
with them even for gold or silver. 

All the Spanish accounts of the invasion of Mex- 
ico agree in the great abundance of emeralds, both 
in the adornment of the chiefs and nobles and also 
in the decoration of the gods, the thrones, and the 
paraphernalia. The Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl 
says the throne of gold in the palace of Tezcuco was 
inlaid with turquoises and other precious stones ; 
that a human skull in front of it was crowned with 
an immense emerald of a pyramidal form. 

The great standard of the republic of Tlascala was 
richly ornamented with emeralds and silver-work. 
The fantastic helmets of the chiefs "littered with 



294 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

gold and precious stones, and their plumes were set 
with emeralds. The mantle of Montezuma was held 
together by a clasp of the green chalchivitl (jade), 
and the same precious gem, with emeralds of uncom- 
mon size, ornamented other parts of his dress. 

The Mexicans carved the obdurate jade and em- 
erald with wonderful skill, using, like the Peruvians, 
nothing but silicious powder and copper instruments 
alloyed with tin. They also worked with exquisite 
taste in gold and silver, and they represented Nature 
so faithfully and so beautifully that the great natural- 
ist Hernandez took many of these objects thus por- 
trayed for his models when describing the natural 
history of the country. 

When Cortez returned home he displayed five 
emeralds of extraordinary size and beauty, and pre- 
sented them to his bride, the niece of the Duke de 
Bejar. On his famous expedition along the Pacific 
coast and up the Gulf of California he was re- 
duced to such want as to be obliged to pawn these 
jewels for a time. One of them was as precious as 
Shy lock's turquoise, and Gomara states that some 
Genoese merchants who examined it in Seville of- 
fered forty thousand golden ducats for it. One of the 
emeralds was in the form of a rose; the second in 
that of a horn; the third like a fish with eyes of 
gold ; the fourth was like a little bell, with a fine 
pearl for a tongue, and it bore on its rim the follow- 
ing inscription in Spanish : " Blessed is he who cre- 
ated thee ! " The fifth, which was the most valuable 



THE EMERALD. 295 

of all, was in the form of a small cup with a foot 
of gold, and with four little chains of the same metal 
attached to a large pearl as a button : the edge of the 
cup was of gold, on which was engraved in Latin 
words, "Inter natos mulierum non surrexit major." 
These splendid gems are now buried deep in the 
sand on the coast of Barbary, where they were lost 
in 1529, when Cortez was shipwrecked with the 
Admiral of Castile whilst on their way to assist 
Charles V. at the siege of Algiers. 

Mariana, in his history of Spain, declares that 
Cortez had, besides the five great historical emeralds, 
also two emerald vases which were valued at 300,000 
ducats. Whether these remarkable treasures were 
swallowed up by the sea with the other five when 
the conqueror of Mexico was shipwrecked, history 
does not relate. 

Among the presents sent to Charles V. of Spain 
by the first Spanish commissioners, Puerto Carreso 
and Montijo, in 1519, and also by Montezuma 
through his governor Teuthlili, were the follow- 
ing articles, according to the description given by 
Peter Martyr, the learned Italian, who enjoyed the 
friendship of Columbus and the confidence of the 
Spanish Court. The Chronicles of Gomara also con- 
tain the same list: a gold necklace composed of 
seven pieces with 183 small emeralds set in it, and 
232 gems similar to small rubies, from which hung 
27 little bells of gold and several fine pearls ; an- 
other necklace composed of four pieces of gold with 



296 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

102 red gems like small rubies, 172 emeralds, and 
10 fine pearls, with 26 little bells of gold attached. 

The historians, Gomara and Martyr, mention 
among the prizes which fell into the hands of Cortez, 
an immense emerald of a pyramidal form, whose base 
was as large as the palm of the hand; and which 
may have been the identical stone which crowned 
the skull which stood before the throne in the pal- 
ace of Tezcuco. At all events, an emerald of this 
description Cortez sent as a present to the Emperor 
of Spain, together with his letters of explanation, 
after the fall of the city of Mexico. The letters and 
the various presents were intrusted to the care of 
two of his confidential officers, Quinones and Avila. 
Arriving at the Azores, Quinones lost his life in 
a brawl, and jeopardized the mission ; but Avila es- 
caped and put to sea, to be captured shortly after by 
a French privateer ; and the rich spoils of the Aztecs 
were presented to the King of France, instead of the 
Emperor of Spain. Francis I. gazed with delight 
upon the splendors of the gem, and with a feeling 
of envy exclaimed that he "would like to see the 
clause in Adam's testament, which entitled his ' 
brothers of Castile and Portugal to divide the New 
World between them." What has become of this 
historic stone ? 

The quantity of emeralds obtained by the Span- 
iards in their pillage of Mexico was large; but it 
was trifling when compared with that collected by 
Pizarro and his remorseless followers in the sack of 



THE EMERALD. 297 

Peru. Many large and magnificent stones were then 
obtained by the Spaniards ; but the transcendent gem 
of all, called by the Peruvians the Great Mother, 
and nearly as large as an ostrich egg, was concealed 
by the natives, and all the efforts of Pizarro and his 
successors to discover it proved unavailing. 

Previous to the plunder of America by Cortez 
and his followers, emeralds were not numerous in 
Europe ; but early in the sixteenth century they 
began to appear in Spain, and were soon afterwards 
distributed among the powerful and wealthy through- 
out Europe. England seems to have had at one 
time a large share of them, and perhaps many of 
them were taken by her freebooters from the richly 
laden Spanish galleons. In the days of Queen Eliz- 
abeth emeralds were exhibited in profusion, if we 
can give credence to the chronicles and inventories 
of that period. 

The parure of emeralds which the Queen of Na- 
varre bequeathed in 1572, to her daughter Catherine, 
must have been of wonderful beauty and perfection. 

What is the stone lately given to Mustapha, 
the ex-premier of Tunis, by the Bey, and described 
as the famous emerald once belonging to the Spanish 
Crown ? "Was it one recovered from the shipwreck 
of Cortez, or was it one of those given away by the 
Spanish rulers in the early days of the conquest 
of Peru, when they imagined the emerald mines 
were as broad and exhaustless as the silver beds of 
Potosi ? 



298 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The finest emerald in Europe is said to belong 
to the Emperor of Eussia. It weighs but thirty 
karats ; but it is of the most perfect transparency, 
and of the most beautiful color. There are many 
other fine emeralds among the imperial jewels of 
the Czar, some of which are of great size and rare 
beauty. The ancient crown of Vladimir glitters 
with four great stones of unusual brilliancy. The 
grand state sceptre is surmounted by another em- 
erald of great size. The sceptre of Poland, which 
is now treasured in the Kremlin, has a long green 
stone, fractured in the middle. It is not described, 
and may be one of the Siberian tourmalines, some 
of which closely approach the emerald in hue. The 
imperial orb of Eussia, which is said to be of Byzan- 
tine workmanship of the tenth century, has fifty 
emeralds. This fact alone would seem to prove that 
emeralds were known in Europe or Asia Minor long 
before the discovery of America ; but, on the other 
hand, the ancient crown w T hich was taken when 
Kasan was subjugated in 1553, is destitute of emer- 
alds. And hence we are inclined to believe the im- 
perial orb to be of modern workmanship, especially 
as some of the ancient state chairs do not exhibit em- 
eralds among their decoration of gems and precious 
stones. 

The immense uncut Peruvian emerald, given by 
Eudolph II. to the Elector of Saxony, is still pre- 
served in the Green Vaults at Dresden. 

Queen Elizabeth of England sent to Henry IV, 



TEE EMERALD. 299 

the champion of the Eeformed faith, a beautiful 
emerald, which she herself had worn. She gave it 
as a token of esteem, and reminded the gay mon- 
arch that the gem possessed the virtue of not break- 
ing so long as faith remains entire and firm. 

Jt has been stated that the Emperor Charlemagne 
regarded the gift from the Empress Irene as the 
dearest of all his talismans. ■ This treasure consisted 
of a piece of the true cross, enclosed in a large 
emerald, which was attached to a strong chain of 
golden links. When his sepulchre was rifled of 
the treasures deposited with the deceased monarch, 
this relic was removed with the rest of the jewels ; 
and in 1811 was presented to Napoleon by the 
Burghers of the city of Aix-la-Chapelle. Bonaparte 
one day playfully threw it over the neck of Queen 
Hortense, declaring that he had worn it on his breast 
in the bloody battles of Austerlitz and Wagram, 
as Charlemagne had worn it on the field of battle 
in the Middle Ages. Hortense wore it until the 
day of her death. 

The emeralds of the French Crown at the time the 
famous inventory was taken in 1781, do not appear 
to have been of very great purity. Several of them 
exhibited fine color, but had many faults. Five of 
the best were valued at that time at fifty thousand 
francs, or ten thousand dollars, each. 

In the famous Hungarian crown, the large sap- 
phire is surrounded with four green stones of ob- 
long form, whose species are unknown. It is also a 



300 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

mystery how they came there, as they are not men- 
tioned in the inventory made of the jewel when 
Queen Elizabeth of Hungary pledged it to the Em- 
peror Frederick IV. 

The Sultan of Turkey is known to possess some 
exquisite emeralds ; and Rambusson, a French writer 
on gems, declares that they are the finest in the 
world. One of them is said to weigh one hundred 
and twenty-five ounces, and is probably another lump 
of antique glass. Another of three hundred karats 
weight, and of less doubtful character, is a gem of 
great purity and perfection of color. It adorns the 
handle of a poniard. 

In the museum at Florence there is a small vase 
carved in emerald, and also another ornament of 
similar form, fashioned from a fine beryl. The min- 
eralogical collection at Munich boasts of some im- 
mense emeralds which are supposed to have been 
obtained from Spain, and part of her Peruvian booty. 
There are also some splendid specimens of uncut 
emeralds in the cabinet of minerals at Vienna. The 
Saxon and the Papal crowns contain very beautiful 
emeralds. 

Probably the most beautiful specimen of the nat- 
ural emerald in the world is that presented to the 
renowned shrine of Loretto in Italy, by Don Pierre 
Daragon, when Spanish ambassador at Eome. He 
was formerly viceroy in Peru and obtained the treas- 
ure at that time. The specimen is a mass of white 
limestone, crowned with great crystals of emeralds 



THE EMERALD. 301 

more than an inch in diameter and of exquisite color 
and lustre. 

The name of Emerald Isle is generally supposed 
to have been derived from the ever green appearance 
of its shores but an antiquary asserts that it arose 
from the ring which was set with " Optimo Sma- 
ragdo, ' and which Pope Adrian sent to King Henry 
II. as the instrument of his investiture with the 
dominion of Ireland. 

There is a very fine and large crystal of emerald 
in the museum at Leiden, but its history is unknown. 

Dhuleep Singh of India possesses a flattened crys- 
tal of three inches in length by two in width, and 
half an inch in depth, which is regarded as of great 
value in India. It is said to be of very fine color 
and with but few imperfections. 

The Duke of Devonshire's crystal in its natural 
state is reckoned as one of the finest, if not the finest 
single specimen in the world. It is from Muzo in 
New Granada, and more than two inches in length. 
Its form is that of a hexagonal crystal, and its weight 
is 8 oz. 18 dwts. The color of the stone is beautiful, 
but several flaws impair the value as a gem. 

During the visit of the Prince of Wales to India, 
many fine emeralds were exhibited to the royal party 
by the Hindoo nobility. At the grand reception 
given them at Madras, the Prince of Virianagram 
wore a bracelet composed of three splendid emeralds 
of very great size. At Kandy, in Ceylon, the Buddhist 
priests brought forth from their sanctuary for the 



302 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

inspection of the Prince, an immense emerald four 
inches long by two inches in depth. 

A ring cut out of a single emerald, 1£ inches in 
diameter, with the name of the Emperor Jehangir 
engraved upon it, was presented to the East India 
Company. 

One of the most costly and difficult works in 
engraving upon the emerald in modern times, was 
that executed by Carlo Costanzi during the last cen- 
tury. Upon a table of emerald two inches in diameter, 
the head of Pope Benedict and those of St. Peter and 
St. Paul were engraved. Two years and a half were 
required by the lapidary for the execution of his task. 
The engraved gem may now be seen in the treasury 
of St. Petronio at Bologna. 

Some very fine emeralds are said to be preserved 
in the royal collection at Madrid, one quite as large 
as the Devonshire emerald and without many flaws. 

The Spanish freebooters, returning home from their 
American fights laden with gems, did not forget 
the shrines of Spain in their peace offerings. Mar- 
shal Lannes, in sacking the church of our Lady of 
the Pillar, which was one of the richest in Spain, ob- 
tained an immense booty. Madame Junot declares 
in her memoirs that it was not far below five millions 
of francs in value. 

Harsh stories are also told of the acts of vandalism 
of Marshal Junot while he was military governor 
of Spain. It is related that when he visited the 
Cathedral of Toledo, the church dignitaries freely 



THE EMERALD. 303 

exhibited to him the magnificent jewels and treasures 
which belonged to the church and had been accu- 
mulating for many ages. The crown of the Virgin, 
which was beautifully constructed of gold and 
adorned with exquisite gems, was placed in his hands 
for close examination. The summit of this admi- 
rable and holy piece of human art was surmounted 
by a large emerald of almost transcendent beauty. 
The French freebooter examined the beautiful jewel 
for a few moments, and then coolly twisted off the 
emerald from its setting and placed it in his pocket, 
exclaiming, with a Parisian grimace, " Ceci doit etre 
a moi." 

Finely formed crystals of emerald, when not too 
large, were in early times mounted in gold and in 
jewelry without receiving any artificial polish from 
the lapidary. Examples are often found in the 
tombs of antiquity. The Princess Bariatinsky has a 
valuable necklace of ancient emeralds fashioned in 
this manner. 

The Orientals, taking advantage of the facility with 
which the prisms are broken at right angles to the 
axis, frequently used slices of the crystals, sometimes 
artificially polished, but often with the natural planes 
of cleavage preserved. This practice was quite com- 
mon prior to the fifteenth century. They also 
adopted the unfortunate custom of engraving them 
with condensed quotations from the Koran, and often 
drilled holes through the centre of the stones so as 
to string them as necklaces or as ear ornaments. 



304 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

One of the finest gems that adorned the gorgeous 
harness of Eunjeet Singh was a beautiful emerald 
maltreated in this manner. Major Pearse found in 
a Punjaub tope a reliquary formed from an emerald 
three inches long and two inches thick, with the ends 
rounded off. It was originally a gem of fine color, 
but had been bored half through its axis to contain 
two finger joints of some revered Buddhist saint or 
petted monkey. 

The emerald has been a subject of controversy 
among the chemists and mineralogists, and its char- 
acter, especially the cause of its beautiful color, is 
not clearly defined even at the present day. But 
that distinguished chemist, Professor Lewy of Paris, 
seems to offer, thus far, the most correct and plau- 
sible theory. More than ten years ago he boldly 
asserted that the hue is not due to the oxide of 
chromium, and with this opinion he confronted such 
eminent men as Vauquelin, Klaproth, and others of 
high rank in the scientific world. Not content with 
his researches in his laboratory in Paris, he reso- 
lutely crossed the ocean and sought the emerald in 
its parent ledges in the lofty table-lands of New 
Granada. Here he obtained new information of a 
geological character which goes far to strengthen his 
position. The experiments of M. Lewy indicate, if 
they do not prove, that the coloring matter of the 
emerald is organic, and readily destroyed by heat, 
which would not be the case if it was due to the 
oxide of chromium. All my own fire-tests with the 



THE EMERALD. 305 

Granada emerald corroborate the views of M. Lewy, 
for in every instance the gem lost its hue when sub- 
mitted to a red heat. 

Nevertheless, the recent researches of Wohler and 
Eose give negative results. These experienced chem- 
ists kept an emerald at the temperature of melted 
copper" for an hour, and found that, although the 
stone had become opaque, the color was not affected. 
They therefore considered the oxide of chromium to 
be the coloring agent, without, however, denying 
the presence of organic matter. The amount of the 
oxide of chromium found by many chemists varies 
from one to two per cent, while Lewy and others 
found it in a quantity so small as to be inapprecia- 
ble, and too minute to be weighed. 

Before the ordinary blowpipe the emerald passes 
rapidly into a whitish vesicular glass, and with borax 
it forms a fine green glass, while its sub-species, the 
beryl, changes into a colorless bead ; with salt of 
phosphorus it slowly dissolves, leaving a silicious 
skeleton. 

M. Lewy visited the mines at Muzo in Granada, 
and from the results of his analyses, together with 
the fact of finding emeralds in conjunction with the 
presence of fossil shells in the limestone in which 
they occur, he arrived at the conclusion that they 
have been formed in the wet way, — deposited from 
a chemical solution. He also found that when ex- 
tracted they are so soft and fragile that the largest 
and finest fragments can be reduced to powder by 

20 



306 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

merely rubbing them between the fingers, and the 
crystals often crack and fall to pieces after being 
removed from the mine, apparently from loss of 
water. Consequently, when the emeralds are first 
extracted they are laid aside carefully for a few days 
until the water is evaporated. 

This statement relative to the softness of the gem 
and its subsequent hardening has been met with a 
shout of derision from some of the gem-seekers, — 
none louder than that of Barbot, the retired jeweller. 
Barbot seems to forget that the rock of which his 
own house in Paris is constructed undergoes the 
same change after being removed from the deep 
quarries in the catacombs under the city. 

This phenomenon is observed with many rocks. 
Flints acquire additional toughness by the evapora- 
tion of water contained in them. The yellow gneiss 
of Ceylon is soft when quarried, but hardens on 
exposure to the atmosphere. The Egyptian verde 
antique marble, which was named after Augustus and 
Tiberias, was easily quarried with steel implements, 
but quickly hardened on exposure to the external 
air. The mosaic plates of this mineral which are 
inlaid in the decorative work of the Tuscan Gothic 
buildings are yet quite hard. The steatite of Saint 
Anthony's Falls grows harder on exposure, and other 
minerals, when quarried from considerable depths, 
become firmer on exposure to the action of the air. 
Observations of this kind led Kuhlman to investi- 
gate the cause; and he believes that the hardening 



THE EMERALD. 307 

of rocks is not owing solely to the evaporation of 
quarry-water, but that it depends upon the tendency 
which all earthy matters possess to undergo a sponta- 
neous crystallization by slow desiccation, which com- 
mences the moment the rock is exposed to the air. 

The coloring matter of the emerald seems to be 
derived from the decomposition of the remains of 
animals who have lived in a bygone age, and whose 
remains are now found fossilized in the rock which 
forms the matrix of the gem. This rock in Granada 
is a black limestone, with white veins containing 
ammonites. Specimens of these rocks, exhibiting 
fragments of emeralds in situ and also ammonites, 
are to be seen in the mineralogical gallery of the 
Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Lewy believes that 
the beautiful tint of these gems is produced by an 
organic substance, which he considers to be a car- 
buret of hydrogen, similar to that called chlorophyll, 
which constitutes the coloring matter of the leaves 
of plants ; and he has shown that the emeralds of 
the darkest hue, which contain the greatest amount 
of organic matter, lose their color completely at a 
low red heat, and become opaque and white ; while 
minerals and pastes which are well known to be 
colored by chromium, like the green garnets (the 
lime-chrome garnets) of Siberia, are unchanged in 
hue by the action of heat. 

At the present time the composition of the emer- 
ald is supposed to be a silicate of alumina and 
glucina, with traces of organic matter and also other 



308 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

earths and oxides ; but silica, alumina, and glucina are 
the principal component parts. It resembles quartz 
in some of its physical properties, having a specific 
gravity of 2.6 to 2.7, and a refractive energy of 1.58, 
but its degree of hardness is slightly greater, ranging 
from 7.5 to 8.0, while that of quartz is but 7.0. 

The Peruvians maintain that the emerald ripens 
and deepens in color after having been mined and 
exposed to the air and light. Whether this asser- 
tion has been corroborated or not we cannot yet say ; 
but it is a well-substantiated fact that some minerals 
do gain in color and hardness on exposure, and 
equally well proved that many others lose their tints 
very perceptibly. Strange to say, the cystine calculi 
undergo a similar change of color, and assume a fine 
greenish-blue tint when exposed to the light, chang- 
ing from a fawn color. The specimens in Guy's 
Museum described by Dr. Marcet in 1817 were of a 
pale brown, but according to the report of Golding 
Bird they now resemble the green sulphate of iron. 
Dr. Peter observed the same mysterious change of 
color in the two cystine calculi preserved in the 
museum of Transylvania University, and noted the 
fact that the change takes place on the side exposed 
to the light. 

But one locality thus far has been discovered in 
the United States or even in North America, and 
this occurs in North Carolina. For several years 
previous to the year 1880, Mr. J. A. Stephenson, 
a collector of minerals, had obtained in Alexander 



THE EMERALD. 309 

County a number of beryls and crystals of trans- 
parent minerals which had the shape of beryl with 
a tint of the emerald hue, also other crystals of acic- 
ular form which exhibited the true color of the finest 
Granada specimens of emeralds. 

Some of these minerals were shown in 1880 to 
WilliSm E. Hidden, a young naturalist then engaged 
in searching the mineral belts of North and South 
Carolina and Georgia for rare minerals. The beauty 
of these specimens led the young enthusiast to make 
a thorough search for the parent ledge ; and, after a 
few weeks of earnest labor in cutting deep ditches in 
the soil near the spot where a number of crystals had 
been found, he was rewarded with the discovery of 
the original deposit in a rock of gneiss. In this rock, 
in which felspar preponderates, he found implanted 
in open pockets and lenticular fissures crystals of 
emeralds, quartz, rutile, monazite, beryl, and also 
many crystals of long and slender shapes which 
appeared to be diopside, but which exhibited colors 
of white, yellow, and green of the most beautiful 
emerald hues. The mineral which appeared to be 
diopside was submitted to the examination of the 
distinguished chemist, J. Lawrence Smith, who soon 
pronounced it to be a new form of spodumene, and 
named it Hiddenite after the young explorer. Since 
then the explorations have been continued, and have 
yielded many very beautiful specimens of both the 
emerald and the hiddenite. At the depth of thirty- 
three feet below the surface of the rock several 



310 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

pockets were discovered which yielded some beauti- 
ful emeralds and hiddenites. They occurred at the 
bottom of the pockets, just as the finest crystals of 
tourmaline are found in the cavities of the granite 
ledges at Mount Mica in Maine. Twelve of these 
pockets were found within an area of forty feet 
square, extending to thirty feet in depth. The larg- 
est crystal of emerald found was more than three 
inches in length and three quarters of an inch in 
breadth, but its color, although of the true emerald 
hue, is, however, rather faint. Some of the smaller 
crystals are of much deeper tint, and resemble the 
pure specimens from Granada. But the most inter- 
esting treasures of the mineral kingdom revealed 
by this exploration were the crystals which analysis 
proved to be composed of a silicate of alumina and 
lithia, otherwise known as spodumene. Some of 
these crystals were white or light yellow, others 
were of a rich yellow hue shading into brown, while 
others exhibited the purest prismatic green of various 
depths of hue. In some of the green crystals the 
color has been uniform, while in others it is more 
intense at one end of their extremities. 

Quite a number of the crystals and their frag- 
ments have been cut and polished into gems which 
rival, by their lustre and beauty of color, the best 
of the South American emeralds. On account of 
their extreme rarity, as well as their beauty, they 
have been sought for by amateurs, and have com- 
manded high prices. As the field of deposit thus 



THE EMERALD. 311 

far known is quite limited, we fear that the yield 
of this charming mineral will not meet even the 
demands of science. 

Professor Cleaveland, who was one of the best au- 
thorities of his day, maintained more than half a cen- 
tury ago that emeralds which exhibited a lively and 
beautiful green hue were found in blasting a canal 
through a ledge of graphic granite in the town of 
Topsham in Maine. Several of the crystals presented 
so pure, uniform, and rich a green, that he ventured 
1':o pronounce them precious emeralds. But to-day 
we are unable to verify the assertion, or point to a 
.single specimen similar in hue to the emerald from 
the above-mentioned locality. 

The nearest approach to the emerald in color, with 
i the exception of the incomparable green tourmalines 
i to 111 Maine, and the emeralds and hiddenites of 
]STorth Carolina, are the beryls of North and South 
Hoyalston, in the State of Massachusetts. These 
beautiful stones exhibit the physical characteristics 
o f emeralds, with the exception of the color, in which 
they differ very perceptibly. But to appreciate fully 
the difference in hue we must compare the two 
g^ins. Then the lively green of the beryl fades away 
before the overpowering hue of the emerald, whose 
rich prismatic green may be taken as the purest 
type of that color known to the chemist or the 
pointer. 
/q j Several years ago we visited the localities in 
Massachusetts which were famous in the days of 



■ I 



312 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



Hitchcock and Webster. We found that the beryls 
occurred in a very coarse granite, where the quartz 
appeared in masses and the felspar in huge crystals. 
These also occur in finer granite, and exhibit no 
indications of veins or connection with each other. 
They are few in number, and are soon exhausted by 
blasting, being generally very superficial. After re- 
moving several tons of the rock at the locality at] 
North Eoyalston, where the beryls appear on th 
summit of the loftiest hill, our labors were at lengt 
rewarded with two beautiful crystals. One of then 
was a fine prism an inch in diameter, of perfect 
transparency and of a deep sea-green color, which, 
however, is far from being similar to the transcend- 
ent hue of the Granada emeralds, which exhibit an 
excess of neither blue nor yellow. The other was yel-. 
lo wish-green, resembling the chrysoberyls of Brazil. 

Other but imperfect crystals were brought to light 
some fragments of which exhibited the deepest 
golden tints of the topaz, and others the tints q,f 
the sherry-wine colored topazes of Siberia. Majj._ 
nificent crystals have been found in these localitie !S 
in times long past, and from the fragments an^ 
sections of crystals found in the debris of early e^_ 
plorations, we observed the wide range of colo' r 
and the deep longitudinal striae which characterise 
the renowned beryls from the Altai Mountains, i^ 
Siberia. Lively sea and grass green, light and dee'^ 
yellow, also blue crystals of various shades, ha^ 
been found here. I 



THE EMERALD. 313 

At the quarries on Rollestone Mountain in Fitch- 
burg, beryls of a rich golden color have been blasted 
out. Some of these approach the chrysoberyl and to- 
paz in hardness and hue. Others so closely resemble 
the yellow diamond that they may readily be taken 
for that superior gem. The refractive power of these 
yellow stones is remarkable ; and the goniometer will 
probably reveal a higher index than is accorded to all 
the varieties of beryl by the learned Abbe Haiiy. 

Beautiful transparent beryls have been found 
among the granite hills of Oxford County in Maine ; 
and the late Governor Lincoln, nearly half a cen- 
tury ago, possessed a splendid crystal, quite three 
inches in length and of great purity and brilliancy. 
Some very beautiful transparent blue crystals of 
beryl have recently been found in the western part 
of Oxford County, Maine, which have yielded gems 
of considerable value. Probably active search for 
this mineral in this region will bring to light some 
charming specimens. 

New Hampshire is famous for its gigantic beryls ; 
and the localities of Acworth and Grafton have 
yielded some enormous crystals. One was removed 
by Mr. Alger, of more than a ton in weight ; and 
a still larger one was observed by Mr. Hubbard, who 
estimated its weight at two and one half tons. 
These gross specimens are generally opaque, with 
patches of translucent or even transparent mineral 
on their sides. The regularity of their crystalline 
forms is also much impaired or distorted. 



314 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

At Haddam, in Connecticut, beautiful crystals of 
beryl have been discovered ; and one of these of 
fine green color, an inch in diameter and several 
inches in length, was preserved in the cabinet of 
Colonel Gibbs. Professor Silliman possessed another 
fine one, seven inches in length. 

The mountains in Colorado have yielded some 
fine specimens. But the finest of the beryl species 
come from Russia. In the Ural Mountains the crys- 
tals are small, but of fine color ; in the Altai Moun- 
tains they are Very large and of a greenish-blue ; 
but in the granitic ledges of Odon Tchelon in 
Daouria, on the frontier of China, they are found in 
the greatest perfection. They occur on the summit 
of the mountain in irregular veins of micaceous and 
white indurated clay, and are greenish-yellow, pure 
pale-green, greenish-blue, and sky-blue. The chief 
matrix of the beryl all over the world is graphic 
granite, but it may occur in other rocks. The 
light green stones of Limoges, in France, appear in 
a vein of quartz traversing granite. At Eoyalston 
we observed them to spring seemingly from the 
felspar and project into smoky quartz, becoming 
more transparent as they advanced into the harder 
stone. 

The beryl possesses the same crystalline form and 
specific gravity as the emerald, but its hardness, 
especially in the blue and white varieties, is some- 
times greater. They are both silicates of alumina, 
and the only perceptible difference in the two stones 






THE EMERALD. 315 

is in the color. Cleaveland thought that as the 
emerald and beryl had the same essential characters, 
they might gradually pass into each other; and 
Klaproth, finding the oxides of both chrome and 
iron in one specimen, was led to take the same view. 
The crystals of true emerald are almost always small, 
witli the exception of those found in the Wald dis- 
trict in Siberia, whilst those of the beryl vary from 
a few grains to more than a ton in weight. The 
crystals of both are almost invariably regular hexa- 
hedral prisms, sometimes slightly modified. Those 
of the beryl we sometimes find quite flat, as though 
they had been compressed by force ; then again they 
are acicular and of extraordinary length, considering 
their slender diameter. Sometimes their lateral faces 
are longitudinally striated, and as deeply as the tour- 
maline, so that the edges of the prism are rendered 
indistinct. Other crystals are curved, and some 
perforated in the axis like the tourmaline, so as to 
contain other minerals. Sometimes they are articu- 
lated like the pillars of basalt, and separated at some 
distance by the intervening quartz. These modified 
forms give rise to curious speculations as to their 
formation and origin. If we admit the action of fire 
(which is improbable), then the separation may be 
easily explained ; but if we insist that they were 
deposited in the wet way and by slow process, how 
can we account for the dislocation ? " By electricity," 
whispers a friend, — " by telluric magnetism, that 
wonderful unexplained and mysterious force which 



316 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 



has caused the grand geological changes of the globe, 
and is still at work." 

Sometimes the crystals of beryl are of two distinct 
colors, but generally they are of one color, often 
shading into white at either extremity. They may 
exhibit the richest golden-yellow, or a light cerulean 
blue, or a clear sea-green like those described by 
Pliny, now called aqua-marines. "Qui viridatem 
puri maris imitantur." 

One distinction between beryl and quartz is afforded 
by the appearance of its fracture. A crystal of beryl 
breaks into smooth planes, the faces of which are at 
right angles to the axis of the prism ; while the fract- 
ure of the surface of broken quartz is invariably 
conchoidal. 

Blue beryls were highly prized by the ancients. 
Beautiful specimens are found in the glens of the 
Mourne Mountains in Ireland. But finer gems are 
brought from the granite district of Nertschinsk, 
in Siberia, and also from various localities in the 
Uralian and Altaian Mountains, where the Eomans 
were supposed to have obtained them in early 
times. 

Its name is derived from the Persian " belur," which 
the Eomans changed into " beryllus." Sometimes it 
occurs of a rose color. A few have been found at 
Elba and one at Haddam by Colonel Gibbs. One of 
the most beautiful specimens of beryl known was 
discovered in Siberia. It consisted of a magnifi- 
cent crystal of smoky quartz, in the base of which 



THE EMERALD. 317 

appeared several fine crystals of beryl, of an exquisite 
yellowish-green and greenish-blue. 

In the princely collection of Mr. Vaux, of Phila- 
delphia, may be seen a crystal of beryl from the 
Mourne Mountains of Ireland, two inches in length 
by-five eighths of an inch in diameter. It is of a celes- 
tial blue color, much deeper in hue at one extremity 
than at the other. But the gem of this collection 
among the beryls is a specimen purchased in Eussia, 
in 1875. It is a six-sided prism nine inches in length 
and six inches in circumference. The color is of a 
rich oily green, and several inches of its upper ex- 
tremity is transparent, while the rest is translucent. 
It rests upon a mass of granite, and is a specimen of 
extraordinary size and beauty. 

Mr. Clay of the same city has a remarkable prism 
of Siberian beryl two inches in diameter, which ex- 
hibits a tint of celestial blue externally but which 
appears of a decided green hue in its interior. 

At the Centennial Exhibition Brazil exhibited a 
fine crystal of a warm celadine green color. Eussia 
displayed some very beautiful specimens of the yellow, 
green, and blue beryls from Siberia. Some very beauti- 
ful crystals of emerald, both solitary and fixed in the 
matrix, were also exhibited from the same country. 

Several of the mineralogical cabinets of Europe 
possess fine suites of the emerald and beryl in a 
great variety of forms and degrees of perfection. 
Those of the £cole des Mines at St. Petersburg, the 
Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and the British Museum, 



318 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

are of very great commercial value and mineralogical 
interest. 

At the French. Exposition in 1867, the cele- 
brated jeweller, Froment Meurice, exhibited a beau- 
tiful specimen of modern glyptic art cut in beryl. 
It comprised the bust of the Emperor Napoleon III. 
carved in pure aqua-marine. The image was placed 
upon a miniature pedestal of blood-red jasper, before 
which the imperial eagle spread his wings and 
perched upon a base of red jasper, which was studded 
with stars of topazes, bosses of pearls, and bordered 
with roses formed of minute amethysts. 

A beautiful blue stone adorns the summit of the 
crown of England, and has been described as a sap- 
phire of unusual purity. But mineralogists affirm 
that the gem is a blue beryl, and it is surmised by 
others that it is the identical and famous stone which 
Edward the Confessor wore in a ring. It is of a 
lovely color, oval in form, and measures 2^ inches 
in length by 1| in width, and 1^ in depth. 

A superb aqua-marine formerly adorned the tiara 
of Pope Julius II. and was considered as one of the 
most celebrated in the world, notwithstanding it 
exhibited a slight flaw. This gem, which was of an 
exquisite sea-green color, was 2^ inches in length and 
2-| in depth. After having been kept in the Museum 
of Natural History in Paris for more than three hun- 
dred years, Napoleon presented it to Pope Pius VII. 

The Asiatics, and especially the Turkish officers, 
prize the prisms of beryl as handles to their scimetars 



THE EMERALD. 319 

and daggers. This fondness for decoration of sword- 
blades and arms is by no means confined to the 
soldiers of the East. The officers of Napoleon's 
armies exhibited the same taste. Murat adorned 
the hilt of his sword with one of the finest beryls 
ever seen in Europe. Another famous aqua-marine 
formed the handle of the sword of the poet Moncrif, 
who, like another celebrated swordsman, the painter 
Caravaggio, compelled admiration of his works at the 
point of his sword. This blood-stained gem bore as 
inscription the epitomized history of the author, a 
quotation from the poet Theophile, " Tous mes jours 
sont des Mardis-gras." 

One of the most beautiful beryls known is that 
purchased by the English banker, Mr. Hope, and 
placed in his collection of gems. It weighs six and 
one half ounces, and cost its princely owner nearly 
twenty-five hundred dollars. It is reported to have 
come from the mine of Cangazum, in the district of 
Coimbatoor in India, a locality which has been long 
famous for its fine beryls. 

The most magnificent aqua-marine described in 
history is that belonging to Dom Pedro. It was 
found in the diamond districts of Minas Geraes, in 
Brazil. In form and size it resembles the head of a 
calf. Only on one side does it preserve any trace 
of a crystalline form; the rest is water- worn. It is 
said to be of a fine color, without a flaw, and per- 
fectly transparent. 

For many ages the shrine of the Abbey of St. 



320 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Denys, at Paris, received rare and valuable gems as 
offerings ; and at the time of the French Revolu- 
tion the collection had become very valuable. The 
iconoclasts ordered it to be separated and sold. It 
brought 80,000 francs, and was scattered along the 
commercial highways of the world, never again to be 
reunited. One of the finest aqua-marines, mounted in 
sapphires and pearls, and engraved with the portrait 
of Julia, the daughter of Titus, was fortunately res- 
cued, and may now be seen in the collection of the 
National Library of France. This splendid, gem is 
of the unusual magnitude of 2| inches by 2^-. For 
quite a thousand years it formed a part of a golden 
reliquary celebrated as " l'escrain de Charlemagne." 
History relates that it was presented by. the great 
Emperor before his death to the Abbey of St. Denys. 
This is one of the finest specimens of an ancient 
intaglio carved upon beryl that has survived the 
destructive pillage of armies and the wreck of time 
since the early days of the Roman Empire. It is said 
that specimens of antique engraving upon this gem 
are about as rare as those carved upon the emerald, 
and their rarity is believed to be due to their great 
value, as well as to their scarcity in the gem markets 
in ancient times. 

Several royal relics of the lower Empire contain- 
ing emeralds are still preserved, to attest the use of 
the gem in those days as well as the esteem in 
which it was held. The famous Iron Crown of 
Lombardy, made perhaps before the sixth century, 



THE EMERALD. 321 

contains several emeralds. This renowned relic is 
simply a circlet of gold, covering an iron nail of 
the cross, beaten out thin. The crown of the queen 
of one of the Gothic kings of Spain, of the seventh 
century, was recently exhumed at Toledo, and also 
exhibits emeralds among other gems. And there 
are other examples to prove the use of the emerald 
in mediaeval times for ornamental purposes. 

No other gem has been counterfeited with such 
perfection as the emerald ; and in fact it is utterly 
impossible to distinguish the artificial from the real 
gems by the aid of the eye alone ; even the little 
flaws, which lull the suspicions of the inexperienced, 
are easily produced by a dexterous blow from the 
mallet of the skilled artisan. Not only emeralds, 
but most of the gems and precious stones, are now 
imitated with such consummate skill as to deceive 
the eye ; and none but experts are aware of the ex- 
tent to which these fictitious gems are worn in fash- 
ionable society, for oftentimes the wearers themselves 
imagine that they possess the real stones. There is 
not one in a hundred jewellers who is acquainted 
with the physical properties of the gems ; and very 
few can distinguish the diamond from the white 
zircon or the white topaz, the emerald from the 
tourmaline of similar hue, the sapphire from iolite, 
or the topaz from the Bohemian yellow quartz. 
Jewellers are governed generally by sight, which 
they believe to be infallible, whilst hardness and 
specific gravity are the only sure tests. 

21 



322 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Artificial gems, rivalling in beauty of color the 
most brilliant and delicately tinted of the produc- 
tions of Nature, are now made at Paris and in other 
European cities. The establishments at Septmoncel 
in the Jura alone employed a thousand persons, 
and fabulous quantities of the glittering pastes were 
made there and sent to all parts of the world. 

A fine specimen of prase, when cut, affords a 
fair imitation of the emerald. The green fluor-spar 
which Haiiy called " emeraude de Carthagene " may 
also be substituted, but the application of the file 
detects the trick with ease. Some of the green tour- 
malines approach the emeralds in hue very closely, 
and by artificial light it is impossible to distinguish 
them from each other. Fragments of quartz may 
be stained by being steeped in green-colored tinc- 
tures. The Greeks stained quartz so like the real 
gem, that Pliny exclaimed against the fraud, while 
declining to tell how it was done. The Ancona ru- 
bies at the present day are made by plunging quartz 
into a hot tincture of cochineal, which penetrates 
the minute fissures of the rock. 

But notwithstanding the high art reached by 
modern glass-makers, they are yet far behind the 
ancients in imitating the emerald in point of hard- 
ness and lustre. Many emerald pastes of Eoman 
times still extant are with difficulty distinguished 
from the real gem, so much harder and more lustrous 
are they than modern glass. The ancient Phoenician 
remains found in the island of Sardinia by Cavalier 



THE EMERALD. 323 

Cara, in 1856, show fine color in their enamels and 
glass-works. The green pigment brought home from 
the ruins of Thebes by Mr. Wilkinson, was shown by 
Dr. Ure to consist of- blue glass in powder, with yel- 
low ochre and colorless glass. From Greek inscrip- 
tions dating from the period of the Peloponnesian 
war, we learn that there were signets of colored glass 
among the gems in the treasury of the Parthenon. 

Of all the emerald imitations that have descended 
to us from antiquity, none are more remarkable, 
none more interesting to the antiquary and histo- 
rian, than the famous Sacro Catino of the cathedral 
of Genoa. This celebrated relic is a glass dish, or pat- 
era, fourteen inches in width, five inches in depth, 
and of the richest transparent green color, though dis- 
figured by several flaws. It was bestowed upon the 
Eepublic of Genoa by the Crusaders, after the cap- 
ture of Csesarea in 1101, and was regarded as an 
equivalent for a large sum of money due from the 
Christian army. It was traditionally believed to 
have been presented to King Solomon by the Queen 
of Sheba, and afterward preserved in the Temple ; 
and some accounts relate that it was used by Christ 
at the institution of the Lord's supper. The Gen- 
oese received it with so much veneration and faith, 
that twelve nobles were appointed to guard it, and 
it was exhibited but once a year, when a priest 
held it up in his hand to the view of the passing 
throng. The State, in 1319, in a time of pressing 
need, pawned the holy relic for 1,200 marks of gold 



324 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

($200,000), and redeemed it with a promptness which 
proved its belief in the reality of the material, as 
well • as in its sanctity. And it is also related that 
the Jews, during a period of fifty years, lent the Ee- 
public 4,000,000 francs, holding the sacred relic 
as a pledge of security. Seven hundred years passed 
away, when Napoleon came ; and as he swept down 
over Italy, gathering her art treasures, he ordered 
the " Holy Grail " to be conveyed to Paris. It was 
deposited in the Cabinet of Antiquities in the Im- 
perial Library, and the mineralogists quickly dis- 
covered it to be glass. It is due to the memory of 
Condamine to state that he was the first to doubt 
the material of the Sacro Catino ; for, when exam- 
ining it by lamplight in 1757, in the presence of the 
Princes Corsini, he observed none of the cracks, 
clouds, and specks common to emeralds, but detected 
little bubbles of air. In 1815, the Allies ordered 
its return to the cathedral of Genoa. During this 
journey the beautiful relic was broken ; but its frag- 
ments were restored by a skilful artisan, and it 
is now supported upon a tripod, the fragments being 
held together by a band of gold filigree. This 
remarkable object of antiquity, which is of ex- 
traordinary beauty of material and workmanship, 
furnishes a theme over which the antiquaries love 
to muse and wrangle. 

Another of the antique monster emeralds, weigh- 
ing twenty-nine pounds, was presented to the ab- 
bey of Eeichenau, near Constance, by Charlemagne. 



THE EMERALD. 325 

Beckman has also detected this precious relic to 
be glass. And probably the great emerald of two 
pounds weight brought home from the Holy Land 
by one of the dukes of Austria, and now deposited 
in the collection at Vienna, is of the same mate- 
rial. Another, more than eight inches long, was 
preserved in the chapel of St. Wenceslaus at Prague. 
The hardness of our glass is yet far inferior to that 
of the ancients ; and even the ruby lustre of the 
potters of Umbria, which was so precious to the 
dilettanti of the Cinque Cento period, has not been 
recovered. 

The enormous emerald dishes and statues and obe- 
lisks described by Herodotus, Theophrastus, Appian, 
and others were undoubtedly constructed of glass, 
and exhibited to the ignorant multitudes as formed 
of monster emeralds. 

One of the most curious of these impositions was 
the sculptured lion on the tomb of Hermias on the 
island of Cyprus, which had emerald eyes which 
shone so brightly as to frighten away the fish in the 
sea near by. 

The wonderful " Table of Solomon " which formed 
a part of Alaric's Eoman spoils, and was taken by his 
Goths to Spain, where it was captured by the Arab 
invaders and afterwards sent to Damascus, was prob- 
ably another specimen of the ingenuity of the glass- 
workers of Alexandria or Tyre. It is described by 
one of the Arabian historians as of a marvellous 
beauty, being formed of a single slab of solid 



326 LEISURE HOURS AMONG TEE GEMS. 

emerald, encircled with rows of pearls, and supported 
on many feet composed of gems and gold. 

The famous Barberini vase, found in one of the 
tombs of the Eoman emperors, and exhibiting white 
figures upon a dark-blue ground, was long thought 
to be carved from some variety of sardonyx, but 
proved in modern times to be of hard antique glass. 
Of similar material the unique ewer in the Brescian 
Museum and the vases in the Palace Borbonico are 
composed, and all of these are of great antiquity. 
The sapphire cup of Theolinda, the once celebrated 
Queen of Lombardy, now preserved in the Cathedral 
at Monza, is glass. 

There are but very few stones whose colors resem- 
ble that of the emerald, and therefore frauds are 
easily detected. A well-selected specimen pf prase 
may be passed as an inferior emerald, as well as the 
translucent stones cut from the Chinese jade ; but 
their want of transparency offers a serious objection 
to them as a gem. The green tourmaline, when it 
approaches the emerald in hue, is of equal value. 
The green zircon and the green spinel would be far 
superior to the emerald in brilliancy, and therefore 
of greater value to the amateur. The chrome-green 
garnet of Hungary and the emerald-green garnet of 
Siberia would command a high price, if of pure color, 
as they surpass the glucina emerald in eclat and are 
moreover exceedingly rare. The peridot may as- 
sume the exact hue of the Granada emerald. The 
glass imitations are almost facsimiles in hue, and 



THE EMERALD. 327' 

are far superior in brilliancy to the mineral itself; 
but their softness, which readily yields to the file, 
betrays their nature without difficulty. 

Since the time of the Spanish Conquest, New 
Granada has furnished the world with the most of 
its emeralds. The most famous mines are at Muzo, 
in" the valley of Tunca, between the mountains of 
New Granada and Popayan, about seventy-five miles 
from Santa Fe de Bogota, where every rock, it is 
said, contains an emerald. At present the supply 
of emeralds is very limited, owing to restrictions on 
trade, and want of capital and energy in mining 
operations. 

Blue as well as green emeralds are found in the 
Cordillera of the Cubillan. The Esmeraldas mines 
in Equador are said to have been worked success- 
fully at one period by the Jesuits. The Peruvians 
obtained many emeralds from the barren district of 
Atacama, and in the times of the Conquest there 
were quarries on the Eiver of Emeralds near Bar- 
bacoas. Emeralds of a poor quality are found at 
Limoges in France, and also in Norway. In some 
of the felspar quarries in Finland they occur in 
large thick crystals, several feet in thickness, of a 
fine color, but not transparent. 

Emeralds are found in Siberia, and some of the 
localities may have furnished to the ancients the 
Scythian gems which Pliny and others mention. In 
the Wald district magnificent crystals have been 
found embedded in mica-slate. One of these — a 



328 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

twin-crystal, now in the imperial cabinet at St. 
Petersburg — is seven inches long, four inches broad, 
and weighs four and a half pounds. There is another 
mass in the same collection which measures fourteen 
inches long by twelve broad and five thick, weighing 
sixteen and three-quarter pounds troy. This group 
shows twenty crystals from a half inch to five inches 
long, and from one to two inches broad. They were 
discovered by a peasant cutting wood near the sum- 
mit of the mountain. His eye was attracted by 
the lustrous sparkling amongst the decomposed mica 
where the ground had been exposed by the uprooting 
of a tree by the violence of the wind. He col- 
lected a number of the crystals, and brought them 
to Katharineburg and showed them to M. Kokawin, 
who recognized them and sent them to St. Peters- 
burg, where they were critically examined by Van 
"Worth and pronounced to be emeralds. One of 
these crystals was presented by the Emperor to 
Humboldt when he visited St. Petersburg, and it is 
now deposited in the Berlin collection. Quite a 
number of emeralds are now brought from the Si- 
berian localities, and it is believed that enterprise 
and capital would produce a large supply of the 
gem. 

Near Salsberg, in the Tyrol, the emerald occurs 
in a mica-slate which appears on the face of a very 
steep precipice difficult of access, and about 8,700 
feet above the sea-level. They are of good color, 
but much impaired in their transparency by foreign 



THE EMERALD. 329 

matter and imperfect crystallization. Some of the 
finest stones yielded by this locality were exhibited 
as cabinet specimens by the Emperor of Eussia at 
the Paris Exposition. 

The supply of emeralds from South America is 
very limited, and may be ascribed to want of skilful 
muring, as well as to climate, the political condition 
of the country, and the indolence of its inhabitants. 
The localities cannot be exhausted, for they are too 
numerous and extensive. The elevated regions in 
Granada admit of scientific exploration by Euro- 
peans, and at the present day the only emerald- 
mining operations conducted in South America have 
been prosecuted near Santa Fe de Bogota by a 
French company, which has paid the Government 
$14,000 yearly for the right of mining, all the emer- 
alds obtained being sent to Paris to be cut by the 
lapidaries of that city. In the Atacama districts, 
and along the banks of the Eiver of Emeralds, the 
physical obstructions are difficult to overcome ; and 
pestilential diseases of malignant character forbid the 
long sojourn of the European. Yet the introduc- 
tion of Chinese labor may prove successful and highly 
remunerative, since the coolie reared among the jun- 
gles and rice-swamps of Southern China is quite as 
exempt from malarial fevers as the negro. 

Hassaurek was surprised not to find emeralds for 
sale at Guayaquil, as they had been found in abun- 
dance in Equador at the time of the Conquest. The 
Alcalde of the region around the Eiver Bechile gave 



330 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Stephenson, the traveller, three emeralds which were 
found in the sands at the mouth of the river. 

Concerning the emerald mines whence the ancients 
drew their supplies of gems, there remains but little 
positive information. They were undoubtedly estab- 
lished in Arabia, Africa, and Scythia, but all record 
of them is lost. As regards the Egyptian mines, 
modern travellers have proved their existence. At 
the ancient mines at Gebel Zabara, which were 
worked in the time of the Ptolemies, M. Callaud 
found the tools of the miners as they had left them, 
and also many inferior emeralds among the debris 
of the pits. Mehemet Ali attempted to reopen them, 
but was unsuccessful, as the matrix of the gem proved 
to be exhausted. This discovery establishes the 
truth of Pliny's remark concerning some of the lo- 
calities of the emerald. They are the same gems 
whose beauty was praised by the Persian poets. We 
have no evidence of ancient mines of emeralds in 
Asia ; and Tavernier, who sought in vain to discover 
them, ventured to state that he believed that some 
of the emeralds he saw in India must have come 
from Peru, by way of the Philippine Islands, long 
before the Conquest by the Spaniards. 

Other mines undoubtedly were worked in Africa ; 
and we know that in the time of Justinian, the 
Abyssinians searched the coast, even as far as the 
equator. The African emeralds were not of the first 
quality ; and at a later period of Eoman history the 
Scythian emeralds were reckoned as the first in value 



THE EMERALD. 331 

and beauty, the Bactrian second, while the African 
were classed as third. About the fourth century 
the throne of the White Huns was famous for the 
splendid Scythian emeralds which adorned it. 

The price of the emerald has no fixed and extended 
scale, like that of the diamond, and the fluctuations 
of iCs value during the past three centuries form an 
i it fce resting chapter in the history of gems. In the 
time of Dutens (1777) the price of small stones of 
the first quality was one louis the karat ; one and 
a half karats, five louis ; two karats, ten louis ; and 
beyond this weight no rule of value could be estab- 
lished. In De Boot's day (1C00) emeralds were so 
plenty as to be worth only a quarter as much as the 
diamond. The markets were glutted with the fre- 
quent importations from Peru, and thirteen years 
before the above-mentioned period one vessel brought 
from South America two hundred and three pounds 
of fine emeralds, worth at the present valuation more 
than seven millions of dollars. At the beginning of 
this century, according to Caire, they were worth no 
more than twenty-four francs (or about five dollars) 
i the karat, and for a long time antecedent to 1850, 
'they were valued at only $15 the karat. Since this 
^period they have become very rare, and their valua- 
tion has advanced enormously. In fact, the value 
of the emerald now exceeds that of the diamond, and 
is rapidly approaching the ratio fixed by Benvenuto 
Cellini in the middle of the sixteenth century, which 
rated the emerald at four times, and the ruby at eight 



332 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

times, the value of the diamond. Fine stones (the 
emerald is exceedingly liable to flaw, the beryl is 
more free, and the green sapphire is rarely impaired 
by fissures or cracks) of one karat in weight are worth 
at the present day $200 or more. Fine gems of two 
karats weight will command $500 ; while larger stones 
are sold at extravagant prices. 

Most of our aqua-marines come from Brazil and 
Siberia, and small stones are sold at trifling prices. 
Some of them, however, when perfect and of fine 
color, command fabulous sums. The superb little 
beryl found at Mouzzinskaia is valued by the Eus- 
sians at the enormous sum of $120,000, although 
the crystal weighs but little more than one ounce. 
Another rough prism preserved in the Museum at 
Paris, and weighing less than one hundred grains, has 
received the tempting offer of 15,000 francs. 



THE OPAL. 



" What radiant changes strike the astonished sight ! 
What glowing hues of mingled shade and light ! " 

Falconer. 



THE OPAL. 335 



THE OPAL. 

What is the composition of this wonderful stone, 
which displays such wondrous hues ? What is the 
nature of this remarkable mineral, which seems to 
concentrate within its substance all the glories of the 
rainbow, and which rivals in its hue the finest gem 
of the mineral world ? The Turk believes that it falls 
from heaven in the lightning's flash, and it is often 
regretted by the mineralogist that the theory cannot 
be sustained. Surely a gem so beautiful, so delicate, 
and so pure ought to be of celestial origin, and free 
from the impurities and imperfections of the earth. 
Alas, we have but one precious stone that comes to 
us from the far-off region of celestial space, — olivine, 
— and that as yet has been found only in minute 
grains. 

But if we cannot ascribe the origin of our beautiful 
gems directly to the stars and other bodies in space, 
we may affirm that their birth or development in 
the bosom of our earth may be due in a great measure 
to extra-terrestrial influences. And as regards the 
precious opal, if we cannot prove it of divine origin, 
we can with truth affirm that there is a deep mystery 



336 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

connected with the mineral both in its composition 
and its physical properties. The liberal-minded 
physicist to-day finds himself somewhat baffled when 
attempting to explain the phenomena of the gem in 
accordance with our imperfect knowledge of natural 
laws. Apparently it is nothing more than hydrated 
silica or quartz; but it is of a lower specific gravity, 
and some of its varieties are so tender and delicate in 
structure as to be at the caprice of the atmosphere. 

It has been maintained that the peculiarities of 
the opal depend in a great measure upon the quantity 
of water it contained, and which, mixed mechanically 
with the silica, varies from three to twenty per cent. 
But some chemists, who have interested themselves in 
the study of the composition of the mineral do not 
regard the presence of water as absolutely essential 
for the development of the varied flashes of color. 
We will only state in this brief sketch that there is 
certainly a mystery connected with the part water 
plays in producing and perfecting the beauty of the 
opal. This quantity or factor of water varies greatly 
in the different varieties of opal. Apparently when 
heat is applied to the mineral the brilliancy of its 
hues is increased, either from evaporation of its water 
or some structural change. But if the degree of 
heat is too great, or its application too prolonged, 
the hues of the opal vanish and cannot be recalled 
by human skill. The same results from the effects 
of heat may be noticed in other gems of greater 
density and hardness, as the emerald, the topaz, 



THE OPAL. 337 

and the tourmaline. It lias been maintained that 
a faded opal may be restored to beauty by immer- 
sion for a time in water, with the view of restoring 
the fancied loss by evaporation ; but we fear that the 
experimentalist will be often disappointed with his 
results. However, there is one singular variety of 
the mineral known as the hydrophane, which does 
not exhibit colors until after it has been immersed for 
a time in water, and when removed from its bath 
and becomes dry again its hues vanish. Therefore, 
we may justly affirm that there is a mystery in con- 
nection with the influence of water in producing the 
color of the opal. The optical properties of this 
mineral do not afford decisive distinction, and it never 
crystallizes in regular and definite form like quartz, 
neither does it exhibit a trace of double refraction. 

We will say no more at present concerning the 
composition of this interesting substance except to 
allude briefly to the experiment of Damour, who 
found the opal to turn black when sulphuric acid 
was applied to it ; hence he inferred that the sub- 
stance contained some organic matter, but precisely 
what he could not determine, although he suspected 
the presence of bituminous matter. Similar foreign 
bodies have been detected in many other precious 
stones. In fact, many of our gems are impaired by 
impurities ; and so generally, that a stone of absolute 
purity is of rare occurrence. Even the diamond, 
which is regarded as the emblem of light and purity, is 
reckoned by microscopists as one of the foulest of gems. 

22 



338 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Werner divided the opal into four sub-species, and 
Jameson has separated it into seven varieties. The 
principal divisions, however, may be classed as fol- 
lows : precious or noble opal, presenting refulgent 
tints; fire opal, with fire-like reflections; girasole, with 
reddish reflections when exposed to the sunlight; 
common opal, translucent and without reflections; 
wood opal or petrified opal, possessing the characters 
of common opal ; hyalite, clear and colorless as glass. 
There is another kind of opal which we have never 
seen, but which is described as the asteriated opal. We 
are not able to give a minute description of its ap- 
pearance or draw a comparison between it and that 
of asteriated quartz, sapphire, or garnet. It is said 
to display great beams of light which undulate over 
its surface like the flashings of lightning piercing 
the storm cloud. The variety known as the moss 
opal sometimes displays in its interior dendritic 
crystallization of a dark substance resembling delicate 
mosses, ferns, or trees. And the gleam of the colored 
rays flashing amidst these miniature forests and 
groups of foliage often present charming effects. 

The grand characteristic which gives to the gem 
its value and renown is the wonderful play of the 
colored reflections which it displays, and which em- 
brace all of the prismatic tints of the solar spectrum. 
As we view its vivid rainbow flashes when the gem 
is held in the sunlight, we must admit it to be the 
most magnificent of gems, and join with the Latin 
philosopher, who remarked that it was made up of 



THE OPAL. 339 

the glories of the most precious stones. For as the 
light falls upon it in varied directions, its reflections 
recall the lively green of the emerald, or the tender 
blue of the sapphire, the rich yellow of the topaz, 
or the gorgeous red of the ruby. 

This mineral has not only been an object of de- 
liglft to the fashionable world, but it has also been 
a wonder and a perplexity to the philosophers. In 
admiring its beauties and attempting to account for 
its phenomena, Newton was led to the series of ex- 
periments and to that train of sublime reasoning 
that gave to science the most brilliant and extraor- 
dinary of his discoveries. The colored refractions of 
the gem reminded the philosopher of the iridescence 
of the soap-bubble, and the soap-bubble suggested 
the undulatory theory of light. Newton, after long 
study of the opal, is said to have declared that its 
hues were produced by the refractions and reflections 
of light at the numerous minute fissures which trav- 
erse the stone in all directions. But this theory 
is denied by many at the present day, and especially 
by Mohrs, who maintains that the thin films of air 
filling the cavities of the stone would produce iri- 
descence only. Other opticians believe the colored 
reflections to be clue to laminae formed by incipient 
crystallization, as seen in the equally remarkable 
mineral known as labradorite. Babinet believes the 
brilliant colors of the opal to be due to the narrow 
fissures in the stone, like those produced in the par- 
tial fracture of glass or quartz. He also refers for 



340 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

example to the colors of thin transparent plates, and 
believes that the colors of flowers are produced in 
like manner from the overlaying of the transparent 
tissues of which the petals are composed. This, then, 
according to the French philosopher, is the secret of 
the gorgeous hues of vegetation from their first de- 
velopment to the period of their final decay. The 
diamond, when cut in a regular form, displays the 
most magnificent flashes of the prismatic hues by 
artificial light ; and although the mineral is composed 
of an infinite number of lamina?, no one maintains 
the theory that the color is produced by thin films 
of air like those in the soap-bubble. We also may 
observe the same hues sparkling among the dew- 
drops in the morning sunlight, and likewise in the 
artificial diamonds, which are composed of solid glass 
and apparently homogeneous. 

In examining the interior of an opal, we often fail 
to perceive any cause for the reflections of color, 
especially in the limpid varieties. The flashes ap- 
pear when the light enters the stone at a certain 
angle, but when viewed in any other direction the 
gem presents the usual appearance of common trans- 
parent quartz. In other varieties of the mineral, 
however, especially the milky or translucent, a cause 
for the colored reflections is easily observed. We 
have under observation the beautiful opal known 
as the " Oberon," and beneath its translucent surface 
appear thin films of a faint reddish hue suspended 
at different depths within its interior. They are 



THE OPAL. 341 

so well defined that their edges may be recognized, 
and they lie like thin clouds suspended in a hazy 
sky. But as the gem is turned so that the light 
strikes the film, at a different angle, the scene is 
instantly changed, and a mass of flame replaces the 
sombre tint. It is a little curious that some of the 
films exhibit the different colors of the spectrum as 
the angle of light is changed, while others display 
only the green and blue color, no matter how the 
light strikes them. In fact, the films or patches, 
which are apparently alike, produce different results 
from the same rays of light; and some display the 
continuous spectrum, while others exhibit but one 
color. It is a little singular that all transparent 
minerals when fractured do not exhibit alike in 
their fractures the prismatic gleams displayed by 
quartz and glass. We have before us a beautiful 
transparent white crystal of adularia or moon-stone 
from St. Gothard, and although it is fissured and 
fractured in a thousand places, yet we observe little 
iridescence in it even when exposed to the sunlight. 

The localities where the precious opal is now found 
are but few, and none of thern were probably known 
to the ancients. Ail record of the old opal mines 
is now lost ; but there were undoubtedly deposits of 
tire mineral in Arabia, Syria, and in Asia, whence the 
ancients derived their gems. The famous Hungarian 
mines were not discovered until late in the fifteenth 
century, and the country was quite unknown to the 
Eomans. 



342 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The principal mines explored at the present day, 
and whence most of our opals are now derived, are 
those of Hungary and Honduras. The Hungarian 
mines are of great extent and are now scientifically 
explored, but those of Central America are undeter- 
mined and but rudely mined. It is believed that 
there are other mines in Central America besides 
those of Honduras, for the natives at times bring fine 
specimens to the coast from localities widely sepa- 
rated. It is quite true that most of the opals of 
America are less hard than the Hungarian, but they 
are no less brilliant, and some of them withstand at- 
mospheric effects and the wear of time quite as well. 
The Honduras opals are found near Gracias a Dios 
in porcelain earth, and are extracted in irregular 
masses, sometimes uniform or globular concretions, 
with rough and deeply indented surfaces. These 
masses do not exhibit the least tendency to crystal- 
lization like quartz, and they are generally quite 
small. Their natural colors are pale, and vary from 
brown to a pearly gray. They often exhibit a rich 
and varied play of the rainbow hues, even in their 
natural and rough condition. But sometimes, when 
this rough exterior is removed by the lapidary's wheel, 
and the gem is highly polished, the colors vanish as 
if by magic. The polished stone no longer displays 
a single ray of the brilliant fires which illuminated 
every angle of the stone when in its rough state. 
This singular disappearance may be explained by 
the theory that the surface has been too highly 



THE OPAL. 343 

polished, and the substance of the stone is ren- 
dered too transparent to permit the requisite de- 
gree of reflection, for when the surface is slightly 
roughened the play of colors again returns. The 
finest specimens are therefore those , which are 
translucent, or those which, being transparent, are 
backed by an opaque ground which refracts the 
light. 

The opal-bearing districts in Central America are 
far more extensive than is generally supposed. The 
Province of Honduras abounds in them, and we have 
evidence of others occurring in the State of Gautemala 
on the Pacific coast. The following descriptions of 
some of the opal mines of Honduras were published 
by Dr. J. Le Conte, in 1868, in his report of the 
Inter-oceanic Eailroad survey : — 

"Extensive beds of common opal and semi-opal are 
seen along a belt extending through the central part of 
the department of Gracias ; but these varieties, though 
very beautiful and possessing high interest to the min- 
eralogist, are without commercial value from the ease 
with which artificial products may be made which pre- 
cisely resemble them. The localities worthy of explora- 
tion are those in which the opal forms veius (not beds) 
in compact but brittle trachyte of a dark color. The veins, 
as will be seen, are not confined to such rock, but seem 
to have their origin in it, and are probably not found 
except in connection with it. The best- known mines 
of precious opal are in the department of Gracias ; sev- 
eral localities have yielded valuable gems, but they are 



344 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

all remote from the line of road. Some are in the 
vicinity of the town of Gracias, others near Intibncat ; 
but the most important are at Erandique. The working 
is now carried on in a very small way ; but the locality 
is extensive, and in my opinion mining on a large scale 
would be attended with profit. The country near by 
abounds with beds of common opal, as in many other 
places, but the gems occur in somewhat irregular veins 
running in a northeast and southwest direction, and 
with a nearly perpendicular dip. The veins are not 
continuous, but branch off and disappear at short inter- 
vals ; neither are the contents of uniform quality, but 
the valuable parts are usually in belts in the vein, and 
limited on each side by portions of ordinary opal without 
play of colors. These lines of light are sometimes numer- 
ous and narrow, alternating with the common opal form- 
ing a very beautiful gem. Many again, even of large size, 
are uniform in structure, and exhibit a play of colors as 
brilliant as the finest opals from Hungary. The hill in 
which they are found is about two hundred and fifty 
feet high, and two or three miles in length, and for a 
width of half a mile for its whole length opals have been 
found wherever excavations have been made. The rock 
in which they occur is a hard, brittle trachyte of a 
vitreous lustre, and splintering into acute fragments 
when struck ; a bed several feet in thickness overlying 
this rock is of a gray color and soft consistence, and 
also contains opal veins ; it is probably a trachyte 
changed by atmospheric action. 

" Other localities within two leagues of Erandique have 
furnished very fine opals, but as they are not now worked 
I did not visit them. Many places on the road between 



THE OPAL. 345 

Intibucat and Las Piedras appear favorable to the 
existence of opal mines ; but only careful scrutiny by a 
number of explorers can discover them. I would men- 
tion as most worthy of future attention the vicinity of 
Lepasale and of Yucusapa and the ascent of the great 
mountain of Santa Eosa. Greater expectations and 
indeed almost certain success will attend the search for 
opal mines in the valley leading from Tambla towards 
the pass of Guayoca, nearly on the line of the proposed 
road. Within half a mile of Tambla are immense 
beds of common opal of various shades of color. Near 
Guayoca are banded opals of alternate layers of opaque 
and semi-transparent white, having the appearance of 
onyx ; these occur in a red vitreous trachyte and some- 
times in contact with the masses of petrified wood which 
strew the ground for a considerable distance. Veins of 
a pearl-colored opal, with red reflections, are also found 
here; they have no commercial value, but serve as indi- 
cations of better things in the neighborhood. 

" Between the two localities mentioned (that near Tambla 
and that of Guayoca), Mr. W. W. Wright, chief assistant 
of the survey, has, by following some obscure indications, 
arrived at a vein of very pretty glassy opals and yellow 
fire opals, not of great value, but serving to strengthen 
the opinion expressed of the ultimate discovery of pre- 
cious opals in the vicinity. Near Choluteca are found 
fire opals, some of which I was told possess merit. One 
(not of the best) given me is precisely similar to those 
obtained by Mr. Wright near Tambla. Within one 
league of Goascoran, as I am informed by Fernando 
Gaillardo, a resident of that town, is a mine producing 
opals with a good play of colors." 



346 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Another remarkable deposit of opal was found by 
Mr. Wright about five miles east of Villa San Anto- 
nio in the plains of Camayagua. Though not of high 
value, it may be of use for ornamental purposes, 
being of a fine red color with transparent amethys- 
tine bands. It occurs in veins in gray porphyry, 
sometimes several inches thick, and may be procured 
in large quantities. Precious opal has been discov- 
ered in the iron mines at Barcoo in Queensland, 
and a number of specimens were exhibited at Phil- 
adelphia, at the Centennial. Some of these speci- 
mens were very fair, and gave promise of choice 
gems. The blue tints displayed by some of them 
were of great purity. They appeared to be of the 
hard variety, and therefore less liable to be affected 
by the ravages of time, or influence of exposure. 

We will not fatigue our readers with a long dis- 
sertation on the formation of the opal. We will 
however, quote one theory which all may under- 
stand. 

The boiling waters of the Iceland geyser are pro- 
jected into the air at a considerable height, and are 
heavily charged with silica. As the waters fall upon 
the earth, large piles of earthy and stony material 
are formed in process of time. When these silicious 
masses are broken open, translucent and transparent 
portions of silica are found, exhibiting the colored 
reflections of the noble opal as long as they remain 
hydrated, or, in other words, as long as they retain 
a certain quantity of water in their composition. 



THE OPAL. 347 

This observation has led M. Descloizeaux to the 
belief that opals found in volcanic rocks or igneous 
rocks have had their origin in phenomena analogous 
to those of the Iceland geysers. The matrix of the 
opal is a varied one. The gem is not only found 
in porcelain earth,. but it occurs in fissures and seams, 
in fahat appear to be old igneous rocks. It has also 
been deposited in recent periods, as in the limestones 
of the argillaceous beds, and even in the formations 
of the silicious waters of the hot springs of the 
present time. The decomposed cement of the old 
Roman ruins around the hot springs of Polombieres, 
uniting with certain chemical properties of the 
waters, has changed into opal and hyalite. Trees 
within historic times have been transformed into 
opal or semi-opal ; and on the island of Unja one 
may see blocks and trunks of trees (some even show- 
ing the marks of the hatchet) converted into opal. 
Silicified trees forty or fifty feet in length, may be 
seen stretched from Cairo to Suez. In many other 
parts of the world trees and plants have been trans- 
formed by the mysterious processes of nature into a 
silicious substance possessing the characters of opal ; 
but none of these vegetable metamorphoses exhibit 
the rainbow hues to any marked degree. Quartz, 
when flawed in the interior, sometimes exhibits a 
remarkable iridescence, and may imitate the opal, 
especially if viewed at a distance. Such specimens 
of iridized quartz are called " iris," and they may 
be artificially produced by a sudden blow upon the 



348 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

stone, or "by heating it and suddenly dropping it 
into cold water. The superb iris ornaments worn by 
the Empress Josephine were of remarkable brilliancy 
and play of colors. In ancient and mediaeval times, 
iridescent quartz was held in great esteem ; and fine 
specimens mounted in antique jewelry are preserved 
at the present day. It is described in the " Lapida- 
riurn " of Marbodeus as follows : — 

*' By the Eed Sea the swarthy Arabs glean 
The iris, splendent with the crystal's sheen ; 
Its form six-sided, full of heaven's own light, 
Has justly gained the name of rainbow bright." 

The fire opal occurs in its greatest perfection in the 
porphyritic rocks at Zimapan in Mexico. It is 
generally of a translucent hyacinth-red color and 
flashes forth dazzling beams of fiery carmine-red with 
yellow and green reflections. This Mexican gem is 
the most beautiful and gorgeous of all the varieties 
of opal ; but, alas ! it is also the most sensitive, and is 
frequently irreparably injured by water or exposure, 
or even by sudden atmospheric changes. So easily 
affected are the opals by the vicissitudes of the 
weather that they are almost always brighter in sum- 
mer than in winter. But there are some varieties 
that are not so easily influenced, and are not injured 
by contact with water. The fact that this variety of 
opal is injured in course of time by contact with 
moisture or careless exposure is not remarkable when 
some of the harder gems undergo a change from similar 



THE OPAL. 349 

exposure. The hard amethystine quartz, when worn 
as a finger ornament, will completely bleach out and 
become colorless in a few years. The black opal is 
the product of art, and for this purpose harlequin opals 
are used. The harlequin opal is simply the matrix of 
other gems spotted here and there with flakes of color 
dispersed over an opaque ground, and its name was 
suggested by the resemblance to the motley tints of 
the harlequin's dress. Masses of the matrix, with 
fragments or specks of opal interspersed in its sub- 
stance, are soaked for a time in a saccharine solution, 
and afterwards in diluted sulphuric acid. The porous 
parts of the matrix absorb a minute quantity of the 
solution, which is afterwards charred by the sulphuric 
acid; while the solid and transparent parts remain 
unchanged and exhibit an increased play of colors 
upon the black ground. 

The ancients undoubtedly obtained their opals 
from Syria and Arabia or other Eastern countries, for 
the Hungarian mines which now supply the world 
with most of the finest gems were not discovered 
until the fifteenth century. The famous mines are 
situated on a mountain which is one of the spurs of 
the Carpathians. They belong to the Seignory Peklin, 
and are near the village of Czernizka. In the early 
days of their discovery, and for a long period after- 
wards, they were explored casually and from time to 
time. At the present day, however, the explorations 
are conducted with regularity and the appliances of 
skilled labor. The surface of the mountain has been 



350 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

removed to a great extent during this long-continued 
search of many centuries, but as yet no explorations 
have been attempted into the interior of the ledges. 
The true matrix appears not to be more than four to 
eight yards in depth below the alluvial soil. It is 
arranged in continuous beds of little hardness, but 
resembling porphyry in color. The opal formation 
appears to extend to a considerable distance beyond 
the flanks of the mountain ; for, in the cultivated 
fields below, the laborers often find beautiful gems 
washed out by violent rain-storms from the exposed 
and superficial soils. 

The opals from these mines are the hardest and 
most enduring of all the known localities of the earth, 
yet they have to be carefully tempered to heat and 
moisture before they can be utilized. M. Frangoll 
Delius, the Commissioner of the Austrian mines, 
states that these opals, when first extracted from their 
rocky beds, are soft, friable, and tender, and not in a 
condition to be worked. But after they have been 
exposed to the air and sunlight for some days or a 
definite time, they become harder, and the stones also 
become decidedly smaller from contraction. This 
exposure is required to be carefully regulated lest the 
stone become fissured by sudden contraction. "When 
exposed to the effects of artificial heat, colors appear 
sooner than when it is submitted to the action of the 
sun's rays. It is curious to watch the gradual unfolding 
and the display of these beautiful hues. At first the 
stone is limpid and ray less as pellucid quartz. But 



THE OPAL. 351 

as the quarry water is evaporated by the effect of 
heat or time, and the stone contracts in volume, the 
iridized reflections then begin to appear, increasing 
in perfection and variety, until the requisite degree 
of moisture is expelled. If this evaporation is carried 
too far by heat the splendors of the gem vanish com- 
pletely, never to be recalled. It is a singular fact 
that exposure to the sun's rays gives the opal much 
finer hues than the action of artificial heat. And it 
is also a remarkable circumstance that of all the 
variety of prismatic hues displayed by this gem, the 
violet invariably appears the first, according to M. 
Delius. 

The ancients rarely engraved upon the opal, influ- 
enced perhaps partly from its enormous value in those 
times, and partly from its soft and fragile nature. They 
imitated the gem, however, with such perfection that 
Pliny declared that it was almost impossible to dis- 
tiuguish the false from the real. Modern gem im- 
itators have utterly failed in producing anything 
approaching the precious opal in beauty. The as- 
sertion of Pliny in regard to the imitation of the 
glories of this gem has always been received with 
incredulity by the moderns on account of the fail- 
ures of our most skilled artisans; but the discoveries 
among the ancient Phoenician tombs in the island 
of Cyprus by Di Cesnola rather strengthen Pliny's 
remark. 

In this collection we may view a great and elegant 
variety of glass-ware exhumed from the tombs of 



352 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the Phoenician nobility who lived three thousand 
years ago or more. Many of these vessels gleam with 
what appear to be iridescent tints of gold, blue, red, 
and other colors of the loveliest tints, recalling to 
mind the most beautiful and gorgeous reflections 
of the opal. Some of the articles are entirely of 
one color, while others are composed of patches of 
various hues resembling enormous opals with broad 
gleams of pure color. Peligot maintains that these 
superb colors are due to the effect of great age ; 
and the substance of the glass being separated into 
laminae, the colors may be explained by the law of 
iridescence. But we are half inclined to believe 
that they may be due to the skill of the artisan 
in a great measure, — hence the variety of color in 
different vessels of the same age. In the famous 
collection of Signor Castellani there is a solid e'lass 
ring quite two inches in diameter taken from the 
ancient Etruscan tombs. This interesting relic ex- 
hibits patches of color as bright as the prismatic 
gleams, and they do not appear to arise from any 
disintegration of the material, but rather to be pro- 
duced by the design of the workman. "We surely 
will not ascribe to effect of age the decided irides- 
cent glaze which we see in the Maiolica pottery of 
Hispano-Moresque objects of the thirteenth or fif- 
teenth centuries, or in the Gubbio products of the 
sixteenth century. 

The famous opal of history was that which was 
worn in a ring by the Eoman Senator Nonius in the 



THE OPAL. 353 

days of the Triumvirate. Its size scarcely exceeded 
that of a hazel-nut, yet its beauty and perfection were 
such that it was considered a marvel among the dil- 
ettanti of Eome, and valued at the enormous sum of 
nearly a million dollars. Marc Antony, remember- 
ing the sacrifice of the matchless pearl by Cleopatra, 
ancLstill enslaved by her irresistible charms, sought 
to obtain the opal, intending it as a present to the 
siren queen of Egypt. But Nonius refused to part 
with the treasure which was the idol of his heart, 
and sought safety in flight. The beauty and charm 
of the gem may be estimated by the fact that ban- 
ishment then to a Soman was worse than death. 
History makes no further mention of this wonderful 
opal, and even if preserved among the spoils of 
ancient Byzantium its glories have probably van- 
ished ere this, yielding to the destructive effects of 
time. 

The finest opal of modern times was that which 
was worn by the Empress Josephine in the days 
of Imperial splendor. It was indeed a magnificent 
gem. Its flashing beams of light were so strong and 
vivid as to give the appearance of living flames of 
fire, and hence the name of I 'incendie de Troie, — 
" the burning of Troy," — was bestowed upon it. 
The base of this opal was completely opaque, but 
the superior portion wa„ perfectly transparent, and 
through it were reflected a multitude of fiery gleams 
of red light. The fate of this beautiful gem is un- 
known. There are two splendid opals still to be 

23 



354 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

seen among the Crown jewels of France, notwith- 
standing the frequent change of dynasties. One is 
placed in the centre of the Order of the Toison d'Or, 
and the other forms the clasp of the royal mantle. 

In the imperial cabinet at Vienna is exhibited 
the grandest specimen of this gem yet discovered. 
It was found in the mines of Hungary in 1770, and 
purchased by the Austrian Government. It meas- 
ures 3f inches in length, and is 2 J inches in thick- 
ness. Its weight is about seventeen ounces, and its 
value is estimated at about $300,000. Although it 
is injured by several cracks and fissures, it possesses 
a brilliant play of color, and is justly regarded as the 
finest specimen known, even surpassing the beauti- 
ful fire opal brought home from Mexico by Hum- 
boldt, and which is still preserved in the museum at 
Berlin. 

At the close of the last century, but before the 
Eevolution broke out in France, Mons. D'Auguy, a 
financier of Paris, came in possession of a most 
remarkable opal of the harlequin variety. It was of 
oval form, f of an inch in length by § in breadth. 
This gem was of wondrous beauty, and was pro- 
nounced perfect by the connoisseurs. It is now in 
the hands of the family of Count Waliski. At the 
same time the well-known amateur Fleury owned 
a rival to Auguy's opal, which it exceeded slightly 
in size. 

Another magnificent opal is described by Jackson 
as having been exhibited at Vienna. It was nearly 



THE OPAL. 355 

an inch in length, and was of the harlequin order, 
having three longitudinal bands from which flashed 
resplendent flames of light and color. It was pro- 
nounced by the virtuosi of Dresden and Vienna to 
be the third in rank of all the fine opals then known. 

In the Musee de Mineralogie of Paris may be seen 
a splendid opal which has been carved into a bust 
of Louis XIII. when a child. King very properly 
exclaims against the barbarism and extravagance 
where work and material mutually destroy each 
other's beauty and value. The Spanish historians, 
in their marvellous stories of the wonders seen in 
Mexico at the time of the Conquest, describe the 
image of the mystic deity Quetzalcoatl (God of the 
air) on the great pyramid of Cholula, as wearing a 
mitre waving with plumes of fire, and which was 
supposed to have been produced by masses of the fire 
opal. 

Dr. Le Conte brought home from his geological 
surveys in Honduras, a number of beautiful opals 
from the mines in that country. They have since 
been cut and mounted in gold with diamond settings, 
in the form of a necklace, which is regarded by con- 
noisseurs as one of the most valuable jewels in the 
United States. 

At the Centennial Exhibition of the United States, 
Austria exhibited some very beautiful opals of va- 
rious kinds, both polished and in the natural state. 
One of the polished gems was two inches in diameter 
and valued at $25,000. It was of a faint milky white 



356 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

tint, like most of the Hungarian opals, and displayed 
a charming arrangement of colors. 

The splendors of the opal are best seen when ex- 
posed to the direct rays of the sun, and viewed 
through a magnifying glass of low power. The daz- 
zling scene has no equal in art or nature, for the vivid 
hues of the solar spectrum are here displayed with 
the most charming effect. The colors are in broad 
patches, and not blended with their complementary 
hues as seen in the continuous spectrum, and the 
effects of the pure green, red, blue, and yellow, flash- 
ing forth in perfect purity and intensity, without 
definite arrangement, remind the observer of the bril- 
liancy of the kaleidoscope. In this fascinating dis- 
play of hues one might expect to see the colors pass 
into each other as in the solar spectrum, and as the 
field of view is changed ; but such is not always the 
result. The red may exhibit a tinge of yellow, or 
the green a shade of blue before they disappear from 
view ; but generally the patch of color ends abruptly, 
preserving its purity of tint to the last. 

The alternate and irregular flashing of all these 
varied hues always presents a harmonious spectacle, 
such is the wondrous power of Nature in all her ar- 
rangements and groupings. The stone, when arranged 
by the art of the lapidary, is almost always cut with 
a convex surface. However, when the opal is at- 
tached to an opaque substance which serves as a 
reflector to the rays of light, the stone may then have 
its surface cut almost flat. The colors displayed by 



THE OPAL. 357 

this gem embrace quite all of the tints seen in the 
solar spectrum, and they are as pure. The shades of 
green, blue, yellow, aud red will bear comparison 
with the hues of the solar spectrum, and the gems 
of other minerals are rare that can bear this decisive 
test. Sometimes but one color is visible in the stone, 
and then it is called emerald or golden opal, accord- 
ing to the tint exhibited. 

The purchase of opals in the rough natural state is 
attended with danger, for often the glittering mass, 
after being shaped and polished by the lapidary, is 
transformed into a transparent but hueless stone. 
The cutting of the opal is always a hazardous opera- 
tion, from the fragility of the material and the special 
tact required in determining the shape to be given 
the gem. We will relate an instance to illustrate the 
history of the whole. 

A traveller from Central America brought home a 
splendid rough fire opal which dazzled the eye with 
its fiery reflections. We took it to an honest lapi- 
dary, who received it with a doubtful look. The 
next day the opal was returned, having been shaped 
into the usual oval form, but only a faint gleam of 
any of the colored rays flashed from its surface, or 
the interior. "Is this the gem we gave you yester- 
day ? " we demanded of the artisan. With a smile the 
lapidary took the transparent stone and roughened 
its finely polished surface upon the wooden wheel. 
In an instant the lost fire returned as if directed by 
magic's wand. The perfect transparency of the gem, 



358 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

with its high polish, had allowed the rays of light to 
pass directly through it, and there was but little re- 
fraction, but on roughening the surface the light was 
interrupted and the peculiar property of the mineral 
displayed. Unfortunately the lesson was not con- 
cluded here. At the last touch of the wheel the 
beautiful gem flew into two parts, and its glories 
departed in an instant. Saddened with the day's ex- 
perience, we took the two fragments, cemented them 
together, and tossed the stone into a drawer which 
contained other mineral specimens of no great value. 
Some months after, while searching for a misplaced 
mineral, a gleam of light suddenly flashed out as we 
opened the drawer. It was the neglected and abused 
opal, which now gleamed with the energy of a living 
coal of fire. It had recovered its beautiful reflections, 
and still adorns, notwithstanding its fracture, a most 
cherished jewel. 

Whence this mysterious change ? the reader may 
ask. We can only say that the complete transparency 
of the stone had been lessened, and perhaps the 
change was due to the action of some of the ingre- 
dients of the cement with which we united the frag- 
ments of the broken gem. 

Some of the Central American opals have the 
reputation of fading and becoming translucent and 
opaque in course of time, or according to the circum- 
stances of exposure. We will relate an instance 
which forms a part of our experience and education 
in the study of gems. 



THE OPAL. 359 

A few years ago, two Spaniards arrived in New 
York with a bag of rough opals brought from Central 
America, but from what particular locality we never 
learned. The specimens varied in size from that of 
a bean to that of an English walnut, and were ex- 
tremely beautiful. They had a fresh appearance, as 
thoTigh they had been recently extracted from the 
mines, and many of them had portions of the soft 
sandy matrix still attached to them. They excited 
suspicions of not having been properly tempered and 
hardened by exposure ; but their beauty, which re- 
minded one of the perfect glow-worm, or lumps of 
phosphorus moistened with oil, did not allow the 
spectator to hesitate about the purchase of them, 
especially as they were offered at a moderate price. 
We invested in the purchase of several charming 
specimens, and never wearied in examining their 
exquisite effects. Still, we felt a vague suspicion of 
the enduring qualities of our newly acquired treas- 
ures. The most beautiful stone, the size of a small 
almond, we carried in our pocket for a long time, 
not only for our gratification but for the purpose 
of studying the effect of the atmosphere upon its 
reflections. Soon after our acquisition, we fancied a 
slight shadow or nebulosity appearing in one end of 
the stone. We carefully watched it, and before long 
an indistinct cloudiness began to appear, like the 
dim and distant haze of a summer sky on the com- 
mencement of a storm. Even then we thought it 
might be mere fancy on our part. But when the 



360 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

shadow changed to opacity, and the transparency of 
the gem, with its beautiful reflections) vanished, never 
to return, we were compelled to admit that even sub- 
stances of the mineral kingdom had their diseases as 
well as forms of the organic world. 

This is indeed but one example to illustrate a 
theory ; but most of those we purchased at that 
time of the Spaniards have altered in appearance, 
and some of them quite as seriously. Therefore 
we have arrived at the conclusion that recently 
mined opals should be bought with caution ; and 
that the perfection of a rough opal as a gem can- 
not be safely estimated until after it has been cut 
by the lapidary. 

No definite idea can be given in relation to the 
price of the opal, so much depends upon the degree 
of its brilliancy and play of colors. The gem is 
not sold by weight, but its value is estimated by 
its size and the perfection of its charms. An opal 
half an inch in diameter exhibiting fair colors may 
be worth $5, and another of the same size, of 
greater perfection, may bring $5,000, or more. The 
palmy days of the opal were during the period of 
Eoman luxury, as the beauties of the diamond 
were not then fully revealed, and the opal flashed 
forth its marvellous beams of color both by daylight 
and artificial light. The gem then commanded enor- 
mous prices. According to the tables of Dureau 
de la Malle, the opal of Nonius was valued at 
twenty million sesterces, or about eight hundred 



THE OPAL. 361 

thousand dollars. Enormous as this sum of money 
appears, Catherine of Eussia would have given as 
much for the gem, if its beauty had been in keep- 
ing with its reputation. 

The commerce of the opal affords a curious ex- 
ample of credulity and superstition, which is in 
singular contrast with the progressive ideas of our 
advanced civilization. In times past the changes 
that sometimes occur in the opal from physical causes 
have impressed the minds of some excessively su- 
perstitious people as due to supernatural causes. 
And from these trivial fancies the most beautiful 
aDd recherche of all that Nature has offered to us in 
the mineral kingdom has been placed under ban. 
This superstitious dread may be of ancient origin, 
and whence its source we know not. But it is a 
matter of history that the opal was the favorite gem 
among the Eomans in their best periods of intelli- 
gence and refinement. So far from being feared at 
that time, it was eagerly sought for, as it was sup- 
posed to possess the power of warning against dis- 
aster, and exhibiting the rosy herald of joy. Hence 
it has been thought that a feeling of superstition 
as well as of avarice influenced Nonius when his 
paragon was demanded of him. 

It is possible that the dread of the opal may 
fea derived from the superstitious fancies that have 
descended to us from neolithic times, like the su- 
perstitions connected with the ancient stone im- 
plements which are now called in Western Europe 



362 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

elf-stones. In Scotland at the present day the ancient 
arrow-heads of stone are known as elf-bolts or fairy 
shots, and believed to protect the wearer from dis- 
ease or misfortune. Thus it appears that stone 
weapons of an extinct race are used as ridiculous 
charms by later nations far advanced in civilization. 
History shows us how elves and fairies were created 
in the popular imagination from neolithic sources, 
and how weapons and ornaments of stone, amber, 
and metal became invested with mystic powers as 
objects of handicraft of the elves themselves. These 
objects are not only regarded as fairy charms among 
the races of the East, but the belief in their powers 
and use is quite as strong and tenacious among the 
Celtic portions of Europe. In other countries these 
primitive ideas of fairies and charms have become 
modified, and blossomed into poetic fancies to please 
chiefly the innocence of childhood. Some of these 
the genius of Shakspeare and other poets have 
made beautiful, and to these we offer no objection. 
Poetic license may sometimes invest an object with 
a positive effect which eventually may assume the 
appearance of fact. Thus the allusion to changes 
in the beauty of the opal in connection with mis- 
fortune, which was made by Sir Walter Scott, in 
his novel " Anne of Geierstein," was taken to heart 
seriously by many of his readers, and the gem war 
placed under ban. The popular imagination became 
so strongly affected that the commerce of the opal 
in England became very seriously injured; and even 



THE OPAL. 363 

at the present day many a timid maiden hesitates 
over the selection of the opal for ornamentation. 
Every mineralogist and man of science will re- 
joice to learn that Queen Victoria exhibits sterling 
good sense in selecting the opal among her choicest 
family gifts, thereby presenting a pleasing contrast 
to tUe superstitious and foolish fancies of the Em- 
press Eugenie. 

To the amateur who loves the rare and beautiful, 
with a feeling untrammelled by any of the misty 
traditions of the past or the caprices of fashion of 
the present, the opal is the dearest of all the gems. 
For it is not only rare, but it displays the glories 
of all the other gems ; and it is the only one that 
defies the skill of the modern artisan to imitate. Its 
flash instantly betrays its character, and places it 
above suspicion, while quite all of the precious 
stones regarded as gems are now imitated so per- 
fectly as to require close and careful inspection, and 
sometimes the application of scientific tests. 

When we recall the phenomena of the opal, and 
the wonders of its reflections, with their strange 
and sudden disappearance, we may pardon the cre- 
dulity of the Arabian romance writers in ascribing to 
the gem supernatural powers. It was a beautiful 
theory with them that it falls from heaven in the 
lightning's flash, and is the veritable Ceraunia. Its 
charming and mysterious play of colors suggested 
to their ardent imaginations the glories of Para- 
dise, and hence they invested it with wonderful 



364 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

talismanic properties, and believed it to be the 
abode of afreets and genii. Alas for romance! Sci- 
ence clearly demonstrates that many of the phenom- 
ena which puzzle the superstitious are simply due 
to atmospheric influences and to the natural laws 
which regulate the decay of organic and inorganic 
forms. 



THE SAPPHIRE. 



" The azure liglit of sapphire stone 
Eesembles that celestial throne, 
A symbol of each simple heart 
That grasps in hope the better part, 
Whose life each holy deed combines, 
And in the light of virtue shines." 

MAEBODEUS. 




CRYSTAL OF SAPPHIRE 
C E Y l_ O N 

ExELCt size . 



AJVtLIJsT COLLECTION 



THE SAPPHIRE. 367 



THE SAPPHIEE. 

The colored varieties of sapphire were probably 
known to primitive man, and were gathered in their 
rough state to serve as rude ornaments long before 
the diamond, with its less attractive natural appear- 
ance, was recognized as- a treasure or a gem. The 
mountain torrents, laying bare the superficial strata 
of the gem beds, early exposed to view the sapphires 
of bright and attractive colors, which readily caught 
the close, observing eye of the savage; while the 
diamond, lustreless within its apparent crust, was 
unnoticed and unknown until civilization became far 
advanced and revealed the hidden splendors of the 
gem by the application of art. 

We may therefore infer with a reasonable degree 
of probability that the colored sapphires, though per- 
haps not the most ancient in mineralogy, were in 
reality among the earliest gems known to man. 
The researches of the antiquary and the archaeologist 
rather strengthen this view, for specimens of these 
stones are found among the ruins of the ancient and 
long-forgotten cities of Arabia and Persia, while the 
diamond is not. 



368 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

This beautiful mineral has been known in the land 
of its birth from time immemorial as " korund ; " aud 
under this harsh name were included all those beau- 
tiful gems known to commerce as the Oriental ruby, 
topaz, emerald, and sapphire. The ancients in the 
days of Pliny bestowed upon the blue variety the 
more euphonious name of " hyacinth us." Modern 
nomenclature, however, has adopted the term "sap- 
phire " for all the transparent forms of the mineral, 
reserving the name "corundum " for the opaque and 
translucent or non-crystallized varieties. 

In making use of this word, we have another 
illustration of the strange adoption of a term which 
is destitute of any relationship to the characters of 
the object it is intended to describe. The " sapphirus " 
of the ancients referred to lapis-lazuli, a blue opaque 
mineral spotted with minute metallic flakes ; and the 
only significance it bears in connection with any of 
the forms of corundum is the simple fact that it 
means azure. If we follow the antiquaries still 
farther into the mists of early language, in seeking 
the etymology of the name, we shall probably find 
even less satisfaction. The nature of this gem, as 
well as most of the other precious stones, was mere 
conjecture to the ancients, and they formed their 
estimate of them chiefly from their hardness and 
color. 

Among the early Greeks, Theophrastus strove in 
vain to discover some satisfactory basis of arrange- 
ment for these minerals, and to explain their forms, 



THE SAPPHIRE. 369 

their constituents, and the manner of their creation. 
But his efforts and those of his contemporaries were 
of little avail ; and so Ictinus, when he constructed 
the marvellous facade of the Parthenon, and Phidias, 
while he adorned it with immortal statues of marble 
and other stones, were alike ignorant of the nature of 
the materials they employed in their work. Several 
centuries later the treatises of the Latin philosopher 
Pliny show that science had made but little progress 
in this respect. The people of India and of the val- 
ley of the Euphrates, however, undoubtedly studied 
at a very early period the internal structure of the 
precious stones, and the revelations thus obtained had 
some effect in shaping their religion and their views 
of civilization. 

In searching for the mysterious in the gems, the 
Assyrians discovered the cuneiform crystals in the in- 
terior of transparent sapphires, and adopted the forms 
for their own use, believing them to be the lan- 
guage of the genii. We have little doubt but that 
the cuneiform character which now reveals the his- 
tory of the extinct Oriental empires had its origin 
from the wonderful crystallizations sometimes seen 
in the internal structure of the sapphire. These 
crystals are sometimes visible to the naked eye ; but 
when the polished surface of the mineral is exposed 
to a magnifying lens of even low power, they ap- 
pear with startling distinctness, and exhibit forms 
of perfect arrow-head shape of all colors. The field 
of vision may at first include but a single arrow-head 

24 



370 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

crystal of perfect symmetrical outline floating in the 
azure of the stone ; but as the field is shifted myriads 
of crystals may suddenly come into view, presenting 
a scene of such remarkable beauty and fascination 
that the observer ceases to wonder at the credulity 
of Arabian superstition. These crystallizations may 
occur in sapphires of any hue, and then again we 
may search in vain for them in many other speci- 
mens of the same mineral. Some specimens may 
contain a very few of these arrow-head forms, while 
others seem to be composed of multitudes and 
masses of them. One large red sapphire of four 
karats weight submitted to our inspection appears 
to be composed of clouds of these cuneiform crystals ; 
and under the magnifying power of about twenty 
diameters it presents fields of arrow-heads flashing 
forth the most brilliant hues, and changing into new 
scenes of startling and transcendent beauty as the 
focus is varied. Whatever startled the imagination 
of the ancients with a new and mysterious beauty 
was at once invested with supernatural power. 

In connection with this theme it is interesting and 
instructive to trace back the history of the gems and 
precious stones even within the period of the past 
two hundred years, and read the descriptions and 
definitions bestowed upon them by mineralogists. 
Some of the most gifted of men, like Linnaeus and 
Wallerius, labored diligently to place them correctly 
in science ; but their efforts to define and arrange them 
properly seem at the present day like schoolboy fancies. 



THE SAPPHIRE. 371 

Daubenton conceived the brilliant but erroneous idea 
of arranging- them according to their color, taking 
the solar spectrum for a standard. His idea was to 
place them in seven genera, according to the seven 
principal prismatic colors, and constitute species ac- 
cording to the different shades. This able man 
was not then aware that the sapphire and the 
tourmaline exhibit quite all of the colors of his 
seven genera. 

Rome de L'Isle was the first mineralogical writer 
who classed the gems systematically ; but it has since 
appeared that the amateur, Chevalier Baillou, pre- 
ceded him in his crystallogical ideas ; for in 1747 
this observer described, in the catalogue of his col- 
lection, his views in relation to the properties of 
gems, and how their characters might be readily 
ascertained by the tests of hardness and specific 
gravity, and also by the form of their crystallizations. 
The distinguished and learned Abbe Hairy became 
interested and even fascinated with the study of the 
history and physical properties of the gems and the 
precious stones ; and to his genius we are indebted for 
much of the information we have at the present day 
on this subject. He was deeply interested in the 
nature and characteristics of the Oriental precious 
stones ; and being dissatisfied with the harsh term and 
the vague synonomy of " korund," as applied to some 
of them, he proposed the more elegant name, " telesie." 
But science, often disdainful of new terms, finally 
adopted the name proposed by Wallerius ; and at the 



372 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

present time all of the fine and transparent varieties 
of corundum are called sapphire. 

This remarkable mineral is found in mineralogical 
specimens in China, Siberia, America, and other parts 
of the world ; but all of the fine gems, with perhaps 
few exceptions, come from Burmah, Pegu, Siam, lower 
Bengal, and Ceylon. 

The island of Ceylon is the most famous of all the 
localities thus far known, and it is in reality the 
most wonderful gem deposit in the world. It was 
known in the period of the Eoman Empire, as the 
land of the luminous carbuncle. This island, which 
is situated at the southeast extremity of the penin- 
sula of Bengal, and separated from it by a broad but 
shallow strait, is about as large as England in its area. 
In the southern centre of the island a group of lofty 
mountains appears, rising to the height of about 
8,000 feet above the level of the sea. On one side 
this great upheaval descends in successive ranges of 
hills until the flanks of the mountains subside into 
the alluvial plains ; whilst on the other side the 
mountain range is characterized by abrupt precipices 
sometimes of several thousand feet in height. The 
great gem-producing districts of the island extend 
along the base of this mountain range for about fifty 
miles ; and the central and richest part is considered 
to be located around Eatnapoora, which is scarcely 
two hundred feet above the level of the sea. This 
want of elevation in the Ceylon gem strata or placers 
becomes a marked feature when considering the 



THE SAPPHIRE. 373 

high plateaux in which the diamond occurs in other 
parts of the world, also coupled with the fact that 
the two gems are not found together in the same 
placers. Here are situated the celebrated mines 
which have yielded vast quantities of the sapphire, 
especially the blue variety, for an indefinite period 
of time. They are not small and trivial deposits, but 
extend over large areas. Some of the plains which 
cover the deposits are more than thirty miles in ex- 
tent, and form a large tract of country. Among them 
are the Kondapalle, Elk, Tolapella, Horton, Bopata- 
lava, Moonstone, Newera Ellia, and many others. 

The amount of labor expended in excavations on 
these plains is stupendous, and evidences still remain 
which indicate vast operations and remunerative 
labor in far distant times. The eastern portion of 
the plain at Newera Ellia furnishes a good example 
of the extent of the explorations. This region is still 
called the vale of rubies, and was mined on a grand 
scale by the ancient kings of Kandy. Many acres of 
this plain have been completely upturned, and the 
surface is still indented with numberless pits of large 
size, varying from three to seventeen feet in depth. 
The period of these extensive operations is unknown, 
and is so far distant as to be beyond the mention of 
history or tradition. 

Most of the gem-bearing districts are classed as 
wild lands, and belong to the English Crown. As 
yet the authorities have never bestowed a thought 
upon their value as a source of revenue, and the 



374 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

search, for gems is free to the world. Although 
much territory has been mined in a rude manner in 
past times, the fields are by no means exhausted, and 
offer excellent inducements to skilled labor. If some 
of the energy and determination now exhibited in 
the South Africa diamond mines could be transported 
to Ceylon, the gem marts would soon display the 
splendors of ancient times. 

Ratnapoora, which is the gem mart of Ceylon, and 
situated in the midst of the mines, means literally 
the city of rubies. The mines adjacent to it and in 
the district of Saffragan are the principal ones now 
worked in the island, but the gems are found under 
the western plains that extend from Adams Peak to 
the sea. The plains and valleys southeast of Rat- 
napoora are all gem fields ; and the beds of the tor- 
rents sometimes contain so great a quantity of broken 
fragments of sapphire, garnet, zircon, etc., that the 
sifted sands are used by the lapidaries in polishing 
gems. 

The mining operations are generally carried on by 
the native Cingalese, who labor in the light of a 
pastime and only during intervals of their agricul- 
tural employments. Some few, however, undertake 
the labor as a regular business, but they belong to 
a low and dissipated class, and do not work sys- 
tematically or with regularity. Therefore, the gem- 
mining of Ceylon cannot be regarded as a fixed and 
permanent business. 

When an exploration has been determined upon, 



THE SAPPHIRE. 375 

a small party of villagers set out for the promising 
region provided with the implements of mining and 
the means of camping out. The times selected for 
the operations are after the heavy rains which pre- 
vail in June and October, and the floods have sub- 
sided. The beds of rivers or smaller streams are often 
chosen as easier of access than the plains. If the 
river-bed is ' selected, the first act of the explorers 
is to seek for the proper locality where the gem- 
bearing strata may be found. To ascertain this, the 
Cingalese thrust a long iron rod of ten or twelve 
feet in length into the earth, and test the nature 
of the sub-soil. By means of long practice, the 
natives can adroitly penetrate the earth to a consid- 
erable depth, and, by the resistance to the movement 
of the rod, can detect the gem deposit of which they 
are in search. 

If the indications are good, the natives proceed 
to build a hut if they are at a distance from their 
village, and prepare for the operations, which often 
extend over many weeks. After diverting a part of 
the force of the stream so as to form a quiet pool, 
they proceed to excavate the sand and gravel within 
a certain area. In order to accomplish this they 
use hoes with handles fifteen or more feet in length. 
The top strata are hurriedly raked up and thrown 
away ; but as the pit deepens and the gem stratum 
is approached, the work is performed with greater 
care. As soon as the hoes bring up fragments 
and bowlders of white quartz, or strike a thin 



376 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

ferruginous crust, every particle of the gravel drawn 
up is carefully preserved. The gravel and sand thus 
obtained are then placed in large baskets woven of 
split bamboo and shaped to a conical point at the 
bottom. The basket thus filled is placed in the 
current of water, and its contents washed by impart- 
ing to it a circular motion. This washing process 
is kept up until the stones, gravel, and lesser par- 
ticles are cleansed. During this operation the gems, 
which are much heavier than common stones? 
settle at the bottom of the basket, and are there 
collected together, so that when the superincumbent 
gravel is removed, the sapphires, garnets, zircons, etc., 
are easily discovered at the bottom and removed. 
This is the manner in which the wet diggings are 
carried on, and is the easiest mode of exploration ; 
but it is by no means as sure or often as profitable 
as the operations in dry ground on the river banks 
or in the plains. The dry diggings are much more 
laborious, as the soil is firmer and the gem strata 
must be transported to water to be washed aud 
sifted. These dry deposits are found the richest 
beneath the alluvial plains, which seem to have been 
in distant times shallow lakes and lagoons. 

The gem stratum called mellan is always well de- 
fined, and occurs at a certain depth, which seems to 
correspond to the bottom of the lake at a definite pe- 
riod. This depth varies from two to twenty feet, and 
is perhaps even greater; but the natives rarely exca- 
vate below the depth of twenty feet. This peculiar 



THE SAPPHIRE. 377 

formation, which is generally horizontal, is composed 
of a conglomerate of quartz gravel resting upon or 
mixed with a stiff clay, often indurated by a ferru- 
ginous oxide. In among this cascalho, or just below 
it and adhering to it, are found the fine pebbles and 
crystals of sapphire, tourmaline, garnet, zircon, spinel, 
and^hrysoberyl. Under these rocks and in peculiar 
hollows in the plastic clay, which the natives call 
elephants' footsteps, the gems are found clustered 
together heterogeneously, and often so perfect in form 
as to appear as though created there. At other 
places they are collected together in these pockets 
in such a manner as to suggest the idea that they 
had been washed in by a current of water. 

All these varieties of gems, some of them widely 
differing from each other in composition and form 
of crystallization, are here embedded together, and 
seem to have one common origin. This is the true 
matrix, and the gems are not found in other por- 
tions of the soil unless some disturbing force has 
removed them, like a strong current of water break- 
ing up the cascalho and transporting the gems to 
alluvions of its own deposit. 

It is maintained and generally believed by min- 
eralogists that the sapphire is formed in crystalline 
rocks ; that in process of time the matrix is disin- 
tegrated, the gems set free, and washed down to 
the alluvial soils where they are now found. It is 
also thought that the gem-seekers might with pa- 
tient care trace the precious stones to their source 



378 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

in the primitive ledges or the mountains, as the gold 
miner often follows for long distances the particles of 
gold in the soil until he discovers the parent vein 
in the solid ledge. But in Ceylon this view is not 
entertained by the natives ; and all scientific efforts 
to find the sapphires in the mountain ledges have 
utterly failed. All trace of the sapphire and its 
attendant gems ceases as soon as we reach the limit 
of the gem stratum, and what seems to have once 
formed the shore of the lagoon. Beyond this plainly 
marked outline we may search in vain for the least 
sign of a connection with the older rocks either 
adjoining or at a distance. The result is the same 
if we examine the ledges on the same level or those 
of a higher elevation. 

In some countries, in the granular limestone of 
New Jersey for instance, or the ripidolite of North 
Carolina, the granite of Siberia, or the dolomites of 
Switzerland, we find sapphire, or more properly 
corundum, of undecided colors, of inferior transpar- 
ency or even of opacity ; but it is very rare that a 
specimen is found of sufficient purity for ornamen- 
tation. The most transparent and perfect of these 
sapphires are generally impaired by cleavage planes 
which traverse the stone in several directions, pre- 
venting refraction of light, and often so marked as 
to appear like flaws. This circumstance indicates 
that the forces that deposited corundum and the fine 
sapphires were certainly different in character, or 
that the conditions in which they were exerted were 



THE SAPPHIRE. 379 

not the same. For in Burmah, Pegu, India, or Cey- 
lon, and wherever the perfect sapphires are found 
they have one common matrix, and that is the pe- 
culiar ferruginous conglomerate. 

This conglomerate is recognized as a recent forma- 
tion ; and how came these gems, which are believed 
to. he as old as creation itself, to be found among it ? 
This formation is not only recent, but it is actually 
taking place all over the world at the present day, 
and examples may be found in almost every country. 
We find in many places the peculiar strata of sand, 
gravel, and masses of stone in proper position to 
change into conglomerate, which requires the action 
of water highly charged with, iron and lime or silica. 
Darwin found these stony layers in process of form- 
ing on the beaches of the Cape de Verde Islands, and 
in vain attempted to knock out a bolt of iron which 
had been cast ashore from some wreck not long 
before, and had in a short space of time become 
firmly fixed in the conglomerate. "We may observe 
the same process taking place to-day on the coast of 
Cornwall, and among the debris of the ledges of the 
Abrolhos Islands. In dredging rivers large masses 
of solid conglomerate are often brought to light. The 
Thames has furnished many examples ; and not many 
years ago a cannon-ball embedded in a crystalline 
calcareous rock was taken from the bed of the Medi- 
terranean not far from the mouth of the Khone. 
Fresh water laden with debris of vegetable matter 
also possesses the same cementing action as sea 



380 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

water, and an excellent example is seen in the 
allios now forming in the Landes of southern 
France. This allios is also a conglomerate, which 
has formed and is now forming at the depth of about 
three feet below the surface. Here the conglomerate 
of sand, pebbles, and angular fragments of rock is 
firmly cemented together by the rain-water, which 
filters down from the surface of the earth laden with 
vegetable matter. The cascalho in which the dia- 
mond is found is of similar character, and has a simi- 
lar origin, for we likewise find there traces of vegetable 
debris, and the diamond itself contains germs of fungi 
and vegetable fibres of higher organizations. 

But whence come the elements which form the 
gems ? the inquirer will say. Can we gather figs 
from thistles ? Marco Polo in the thirteenth century 
visited these gem beds, and has left his views in 
the following lines : " In ista insula nascuntur boni 
et nobiles rubini et non nascuntur in aliquo loco 
plus. Et hie nascuntur safri et topazii, amethisti 
et aliquee alise petrse pretiosse et rex istius insula? 
habet pulchriorem rubinum de mundo." Buffon, 
four centuries later, in seeking for the causes of 
the formation of this mineral, observed the pecul- 
iarities of the matrix on this island, and boldly 
stated that the origin of the precious stones like the 
rubies, the sapphires, and topazes of the East is the 
same as that of the diamond. He also stoutly main- 
tained that these stones form and are found in the 
conglomerate in which is collected the debris of 



THE SAPPHIRE. 381 

other matters. The researches of Sir Samuel Baker 
and others on these deposits seem to indicate, if they 
do not prove, that the sapphire in particular was 
formed in the sands, clay, or conglomerate where it 
is now found, and was not set free by the disin- 
tegration of the old crystalline rocks. Nordenskiold 
recognized these gem beds as true placers, but was 
inclined to think the gem strata had decayed and 
left the gems free. An article published some years 
ago in " Once a Week," and supposed to have been 
from the pen of Sir Samuel Baker, who had lived 
many years at Batnapoora, and had attentively ex- 
amined the gem-bearing formations, gave the fol- 
lowing account : — 

"A common but erroneous belief is that the gems are 
formed in the mountains and washed down by the abra- 
sion of the rocks and deposited in the alluvial bottoms. 
If it were so, they would have been traced to their source 
and sought for in the mountains, where they would nat- 
urally be found in greater quantities ; but the natives 
never think of searching for precious stones in such places, 
and in the localities where they are found there does not 
appear to have been any local alteration in the veins of 
gravel since they were first thrown there ; and my own 
conviction formed from observation on the spot, and for 
this and other reasons following, is that the sapphire 
and other gems have been formed and are still form- 
ing in the places where they are now found. In the 
first place, rounded sapphires and sapphire crystals with 
facets of brilliant lustre are found lying side by side. 



382 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Secondly, both the rounded stones and the numerous per- 
fect crystals, with their pyramids unbroken, show that 
they were never broken from other rocks, but were formed 
unattached to any matrix, in a soft medium such as fine 
sand or clay. I have seen hundreds of these taken loose 
from the same spot. Thirdly, crystals of sapphire are 
found with their edges reduced, yet with brilliant facets, 
which is inconsistent with their reduction by rolling. 
Fourthly, sapphire being much harder than any other 
stone with which it could come in contact, it is not easy to 
understand how any attrition could be brought to bear 
upon it to bring it to the beautifully translucent polish 
which the rounded stones usually bear more especially 
considering the short distance from the mountains to the 
alluvial bottoms between which the water-wearing process 
is supposed to be effected. 

"It is remarkable that the rounded sapphires and rubies 
are always the densest and of the finest water and color; 
showing that they were formed by different chemical 
forces from the others. In short, there is no more reason 
for supposing rounded sapphires to be water-worn than 
for supposing that the bowlders of jasper, for instance, on 
the Egyptian desert were so formed, when a fracture shows 
them to have been formed in concentric layers and to be 
in their original state. The same remarks apply to the 
crystals of some other minerals, as zircon, tourmaline, and 
spinel." 

The mineralogist, in contesting this opinion, will 
point to the round pebbles of sapphire as evidence of 
disintegration and subsequent aqueous action. But 
upon careful inquiry we shall find that these nodular 



THE SAPPHIRE. 383 

masses are regular concretions and natural formations, 
which do not owe their form to the abrasion of ex- 
terior force, but are the results of crystalline action. 
We shall also find that these peculiar stones always 
form the finest specimens of the class of gems to 
which they belong, whether sapphire, diamond, tour- 
malkie, topaz, or chrysoberyl. 

In regard to beauty of color, density, hardness of 
texture, and brilliancy, these apparently water-worn 
masses are decidedly superior to the perfectly shaped 
crystals, and among all the true gem mines of the 
world this rule is observed. In the conglomerate 
of Ceylon we often find gems whose appearance in- 
dicates the shock and abrasion of waves or currents 
of water, while we find in adjoining places perfectly 
formed crystals whose facets display a lustre as bril- 
liant as on the day of their creation. Some, then, 
have perhaps been moved about by aqueous action, 
while others have never stirred from their first 
position. 

Among all the multitudes of sapphires taken from 
the mines of Ceylon, we have never seen or heard 
of a specimen fairly attached to any rock as a matrix. 
Sometimes the ferruginous cement which is one of 
the necessary components of the matrix unites acci- 
dentally the rough gem to a mass of quartz, but all 
the sapphires we have seen exhibit no sign of hav- 
ing been attached permanently to any mineral sub- 
stance. In fact, all the rounded stones and the more 
perfect crystallized specimens have the appearance of 



384 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

having been formed in a soft medium like sand or 
clay. 

Whence come the masses of quartz that are always 
found in the conglomerate, and which sometimes 
occur of a large size ? may be asked by the in- 
quirer. This is a question which cannot be answered 
satisfactorily, especially when the adjoining ledges 
do not contain the material. We can, however, solve 
the problem by supposing that beds of quartz have 
been formed on the beds of the lagoons, and were 
afterwards broken up by the action of the waves, frost, 
or other agencies. The clay, which is often a com- 
ponent of this matrix, is sometimes argillaceous and 
at other times kaolin. We are generally inclined to 
believe that these substances are always the results 
of decomposition; yet there are abundant evidences 
to show that they may be original deposits. The 
distinguished geologist Jameson was forced to admit 
this from his extended observations. We find blue, 
reddish, and yellowish mud in cavities of the hard 
crystalline rocks enveloping crystals of quartz and 
topaz, as at Greenwood, in Maine, or Schneckenstein, 
in Germany. The phenomena are well marked in the 
felspar quarries at Bowdoinham, in Maine, and also 
at Schemnitz, in Hungary, in a vein four or five 
inches wide traversing porphyry. Whence comes this 
substance, when there is no opportunity for infil- 
tration, if it is not an original deposition ? Perhaps 
by pseudomorphism. 

How and why were these sapphires deposited in 



THE SAPPHIRE. 385 

globular forms when the law of crystallization is so 
rigid and inflexible ? This is a question which re- 
quires considerable assurance to answer, in the view 
that they are original depositions ; but Nature offers 
many examples to sustain the theory if we search 
her domain ; for instance, how were the rounded nod- 
ules, of flint formed in the chalk-beds ? Their shape 
is not due to attrition, and their peculiar arrange- 
ment forbids the belief that they have been rolled 
or abraded by the agency of water. In the interior of 
solid ledges we find nodules of quartz with rounded 
edges, as though they had been exposed to some dis- 
solving agency or abrading force ; yet they have been 
beyond the reach of external violence. Hence we 
must conclude that their globular form is perhaps clue 
to some deviation in the usual process of deposition or 
crystallization. Huronite occurs in spherical masses 
in hornblendic bowlders ; and we may find nodules 
of tourmaline in the interior of the most perfect 
crystals of the mineral. There are other examples. 

The Cingalese do the mining and sell the gems 
to Moors, who resort to Eatnapoora to attend the 
jewel fair, which is held at the annual Buddhist 
festival of the Pera. Purchasers not only from all 
parts of Ceylon, but India, come to buy gems at this 
time. It has therefore become the great jewel mart 
of the world ; and one can find there many of the 
rare and beautiful gems found in other parts of 
the world : the emeralds of Peru, the topazes of Bra- 
zil, the opals of Honduras, the turquoises of Persia, 

25 



386 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the jade of China; in fact, most of the gems that 
have a commercial value, or any tradition attached 
thereto, are to be found at these fairs. They are of 
greater importance than the famous fairs at Nov- 
gorod in Eussia, to which the gems and precious 
stones of Northern and Central Asia are annually 
sent. 

The Hindoos are the best buyers of gems of all 
the nations of the world. Their rajahs and princes 
pay the highest prices for the paragons ; and the 
poor native had rather invest in a gem, which to 
his simple belief adds to his security and happiness, 
than hoard gold coins, which are no better for con- 
cealment. The Moors are also generally the lapida- 
ries. The tools which they use in cutting the gems 
are rude and primitive, and often the stones are much 
impaired under their hands ; but some of the work- 
men are skilful and are able to copy with exactness 
the most perfectly cut gems of the European lapida- 
ries. Workmen of the inferior class may be found in 
the little towns all over the island ; but the artists of 
the first rank are located at Callatura and Colombo. 
Immense numbers of garnets, zircons, and inferior 
sapphires, with other gems, are cut by these rude 
artisans, who place but little value on their time, 
and therefore work for a trifle. These precious stones 
are then sold on the island or exported to foreign 
lands, but are generally taken to India by travel- 
ling merchants, who exchange them for produce or 
money. The demand is so great from the populous 



THE SAPPHIRE. 387 

Mohammedan nations, that many of these gems are 
really higher in price in India than in the gem marts 
in Europe, as in the time of Tavernier, three hundred 
years ago. Another potent reason prevents the mar- 
ket from being glutted : the Hindoo parts with his 
gem reluctantly, and only in case of necessity or in 
hope of greater gain ; and the wealthy Parsee prides 
himself upon his display of gems, as well as upon 
his degree of caste. The quantity of gems treasured 
up by the inhabitants of India must be immense. 

The composition of the sapphire, when found in the 
clear, transparent form, is pure alumina. Its degree of 
hardness is 9, being inferior only to the diamond ; and 
its range of colors is very extensive, embracing most 
of those seen in the solar spectrum. Its specific 
gravity varies from 3.9 to 4.3 ; and, with the excep- 
tion of the zircon, it is the heaviest of all the gems. 
It is also compact and exceedingly tough in its 
texture, and resists the shocks and wear of time bet- 
ter than any other gem, not excepting even the dia- 
mond, which is harder, but far more fragile. In point 
of brilliancy, it is below the zircon, garnet, and the 
spinel, its refractive index being 1.77 to 1.79. This 
mineral possesses remarkable electrical properties, but 
not so marked in degree as in the tourmaline or 
topaz ; when this property is excited in the polished 
specimen, the attraction continues for a considerable 
length of time. The property of double refraction is 
not often very distinct, and by means of this peculi- 
arity it is sometimes detected from the spinel. 



388 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The term corundum is now applied to the coarser 
and less transparent kinds of the stone, which have 
been used as a polishing material from time imme- 
morial. The granular variety known as emery is 
largely mixed with iron ores, and is far inferior to 
the transparent and purer varieties as an abrading 
agent. It is always of a blackish or dark-gray hue, 
and is often mistaken for iron ore. Asia Minor 
furnishes nearly all of the emery used in the arts. 
It is found there in masses or bowlders, either free or 
in granular limestone. In the United States it is 
found along the gold belt in the Southern States ; and 
in Chester, a town of Massachusetts, it occurs in a 
large and valuable vein associated with diaspore, 
ripidolite, etc., which generally accompany it. At 
this mine at Chester, translucent sapphires of bi- 
pyramidal form are sometimes found. Dr. C. J. 
Jackson found one small blue crystal quite trans- 
parent and doubly terminated. 

The corundum belt of the United States has been 
traced, with wide intervals, however, from Phila- 
delphia to Northern Georgia. All along this distance 
of several hundred miles, masses of corundum, more 
or less transparent, have been found during the past 
forty years, but active search failed to reveal the 
mineral in its matrix. A few years ago exploration 
in the extreme southwestern part of North Carolina 
discovered the long-looked-for corundum in situ. 
It was found on the side of a mountain, in a mica-like 
substance called ripidolite. The corundum from this 



THE SAPPHIRE. 389 

locality appears in geocles and also in well-marked 
crystals, ranging from small size to even the weight 
of three hundred pounds. It is often of perfect trans- 
parency, but may be translucent or opaque. The 
transparent crystals and masses, although possessing 
limpidity, are traversed in all directions with cleav- 
age planes, which prevent their use in ornamentation. 
The colors are also irregularly distributed in patches, 
clouds, or in thin veneers; many specimens have 
been seen of variegated hues, — red, white, yellow, 
and blue, — and even the whole of these colors have 
been seen in a single specimen. 

From the great number of specimens submitted to 
our examination we have no hesitation in saying 
that gems cannot be quarried at will from these 
mines. The inequality of color and the frequency 
of cleavage planes will forbid. Small gems of few 
grains weight may be cut from some of the trans- 
parent masses if the clear portions are selected with 
care, and cut with that skill which is required in the 
shaping of gems whose color is unequally distributed. 
But it is doubtful if fine gems are found in this 
formation, for the conditions which deposited the 
corundum here, and the more perfect specimens in 
the true gem strata elsewhere, are quite different. 

The colors of the North Carolina corundum are 
often very fine, and we have seen specimens of a 
superb blue that retain their hues by candlelight. 
None of the reds we have ever seen have the true 
pigeons'-blood tint, but are tinged with blue, and are 



390 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

therefore of a finer shade when seen by artificial light 
than by daylight. The yellows are also of a decided 
shade, and generally form a portion only of the crystal 
or mass of sapphire. 

Some fine crystals have been found here, but we 
have seen none so perfectly crystallized as the py- 
ramidal specimens from the Asiatic mines. Sev- 
eral large crystals have been exhumed, one of which 
weighs three hundred pounds, and is well defined in its 
form of crystallization. It is now preserved in the 
valuable cabinet of Professor Shepherd, of Amherst 
College. 

A few years ago the gold-miners, while seeking for 
gold in the river-beds and alluvial deposits among 
the mountains of Montana, observed little transpar- 
ent crystals of stone among the nuggets and flakes of 
gold, as they cleared out their rude apparatus used 
in washing the auriferous soils. But little notice was 
taken of these limpid stones, as their colors were gen- 
erally faint ; but the observing gold-seekers remarked 
their great weight and the remarkable coldness to 
the touch, as they passed them around to each other 
in wonderment. For a long time the miners flung 
these minerals away with other refuse, unconscious 
of their character or their value ; but one day there 
appeared in the dark sands of the gold-pans a stone 
which flashed forth such brilliant red gleams as to 
excite anew the curiosity and cupidity of the miners. 
This discovery led to inquiry, and the gold-seekers 
learned too late concerning the value of the treas- 



THE SAPPHIRE. 391 

ures they had carelessly thrown away. Afterwards 
the gems were preserved and sent with the gold- 
dust to the States. They proved to be sapphires. 
Some of them were finely crystallized in long, reg- 
ular prisms, but the most of them were without 
definite form. None of the several hundred speci- 
mens that have been submitted to us exhibited 
smooth faces, like the brilliant facets of crystals 
found in cavities of the crystalline rocks or in the 
gem mines of Ceylon ; but all exhibited a roughness 
of the exterior, as though they had been abraded 
by aqueous action. 

The colors of these sapphires are generally faded 
or faint ; some are snow-white, but the most of them 
are of a faint bluish or greenish cast. We have, how- 
ever, seen small gems of fine red, yellow, hyacinth, 
light-blue, and celadine green. We have also infor- 
mation of a beautiful red sapphire of six karats, but 
failed to trace it after it was sent from Montana. 

This discovery establishes the fact beyond a doubt 
that the gem occurs in quite perfect form in the 
territories of the United States. Most of the speci- 
mens we have seen were collected at El Dorado 
Bar, which has since been abandoned by the gold- 
seekers. From this superficial search and incom- 
plete information concerning the locality of the gem, 
we are unable to determine whether regular gem 
mines are to be found in this country, or along 
the slope of the mountains, which extend either 
north or south to a great distance. We have been 



o92 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

assured, however, by officers of the army, that fine 
sapphires have been brought to them by the Indians 
in Colorado living on the same range and formation 
that stretches into Montana. Therefore we shall 
not be surprised if well-directed search along this 
formation should reveal gem beds of value ; and the 
mere circumstance that the gold-washers do not 
discover them is of but little weight; for gem- 
seeking and gold-mining are two different explo- 
rations. 

It is a little singular that none of the beautiful 
gems occur in huge specimens, like some of the prod- 
ucts of the vegetable kingdom. Nature, however, 
in the mineral line, or certainly with the gems, cre- 
ates her perfections in small bodies. We sometimes 
find a clear crystal of topaz, tourmaline, or emerald 
of a few ounces or even pounds in weight, but they 
are very rare ; while the generality of all the choice 
specimens are comparatively of a diminutive size. 
When occurring above a certain weight they become 
defective either in color, limpidity, or form. They 
are precious stones, it is true, so far as composition 
is concerned, but they are not gems according to the 
acceptance of the word. By the word gem we not 
only mean a precious stone, but its transformation 
into a form possessing limpidity, brilliancy, attrac- 
tive color, or some other charm. 

As regards the sapphire, its perfect forms occur 
in diminutive size. This mineral is also found in 
Bohemia, near Merowitz, in an argillaceous or marly 



THE SAPPHIRE. 393 

cement, with garnets, zircons, and even fossil shells. 
Tavernier relates that he saw in possession of Gen- 
eral Wallenstein, when at Prague, some beautiful ru- 
bies, which were obtained in Bohemia. Fine stones 
of even five karats weight have been discovered at 
these mines. Concerning the mines of Lower Ben- 
gal we have but little information, and will not 
venture to give a description. We think they have 
the same characteristics as those of the gem beds of 
Ceylon. The Ilmenes Mountains, in Siberia, furnish 
sapphires of a strong blue. In Greece and Saxony 
they are also found in small quantities of undecided 
colors, and generally opaque. Impure specimens of 
well-defined colors are found in the volcanic cld- 
bris of Expailly, in France, or among the snow-white 
dolomites of St. Gotharcl ; in the granite ledges close 
to the base of the glacier of Bois, in the Alps of 
Savoy, we may observe regular prisms of sapphire, 
quite transparent and sometimes of a decided blue 
or a tender green. 

The massive and opaque varieties known as ad a- 
mantine spar are said to be found in granitic rocks 
in China, and on the coast of Malabar ; but very 
little is known concerning the exact condition of 
these localities. Fibrolite and magnetic iron are 
said to accompany the corundum in several of its 
localities. Brarcl believes that the blue diamond of 
Pliny of the Island of Cyprus is no other than the 
blue sapphire. And this belief is not without foun- 
dation, as some of the varieties of corundum are 



394 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

found on the islands and coasts not far distant. 
Occasionally stones of fine blue tints and of consid- 
erable size are found. In 1853, a large and beautiful 
piece was found in the gem strata near Eatna- 
poora, and sold to a Moor at Colombo for $20,000. 
Fragments as large as goose eggs are also some- 
times found in the Saffragan district, but are of an 
inferior character, according to Dr. Davy. Mawe 
describes one of three hundred and ten karats. We 
have in our collection a transparent, light-blue, and 
finely shaped crystal of three hundred and eight 
karats, but we fear that it will not match the dis- 
tinct crystal of three inches in length which be- 
longed to Sir Abram Hume. 

The suite of blues exhibited by this gem is very 
extensive, and embraces all known shades and even 
the purest prismatic hue. The deep regal blue is too 
intense a color for a night gem, as by artificial light 
it becomes black. But there are sapphires of a celes- 
tial blue possessing perfect limpidity and rich velvety 
reflections that retain their splendid colors by night 
as well as by day, and they merit the distinction 
bestowed upon them by the ancients when they con- 
secrated them to Jupiter. These superb gems are, 
however, exceedingly rare, and are eagerly sought for 
by amateurs at prices far above that of the colorless 
diamond. The general color of the blue sapphire is 
a light shade, from which it passes through various 
gradations to a blue black. Perfect stones of fine 
colors are quite rare, for they are apt to be clouded, 



THE SAPPHIRE. 395 

and the color distributed unevenly in the mass. 
Frequently the color is in one extremity of the 
crystal, or appears as a spot on the surface of a 
nodule. In other specimens it is arranged in bands 
or thin clouds. Hence much skill is often required 
to cut them so that the gem may display a proper 
distribution. Frequently the color is left in the 
bottom of the gem, and when the stone is set the 
color is diffused by refraction through the upper por- 
tions, so as to give the gem the, appearance of being 
colored throughout. 

One of the most perfect and beautiful specimens 
of sapphire is the magnificent blue gem now in the 
Natural History Museum of Paris. It was given by 
M. Weiss in exchange for a collection of choice min- 
erals. It is of the form of an oblique angular paral- 
lelopipedon of 132-Jg- karats. Hauy thought it had 
been cut and polished ; but Satrin believed that only 
its natural faces were polished, and that the form of 
the primitive crystal was not altered. This is the 
most probable view, for no lapidary of even ordinary 
skill would select the rhomboidal form for so beautiful 
and valuable a gem. This remarkable gem, without 
defects, notwithstanding its great size, was found in 
Bengal by a poor wooden-spoon maker. It finally 
was acquired by Eospoli, of Rome, but was purchased 
for the French Crown after several vicissitudes. It 
was obtained at the price of 170,000 francs, which 
price is certainly below its true value. France also 
possesses several other superb sapphires of large size. 



396 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

There is also in Dresden a fine sapphire, a gift from 
Peter the Great. 

There was in the ancient Hungarian crown a fine 
large sapphire, surrounded with four oblong green 
gems, the nature of which has not yet been made 
known. These mysterious green stones, rendered still 
more interesting by the disappearance of the crown, 
are perhaps of modern introduction, as they are not 
mentioned in the inventory of the jewel when Queen 
Elizabeth pledged it to the Emperor Frederick IV. 
Hence the inquiry arises, are they green sapphires, 
emeralds, tourmalines, or antique glass ? 

In the Universal Exhibition at London, in 1855, 
two immense and beautiful sapphires were displayed 
among the collection of gems and jewels which had 
been gathered from all parts of the world; they 
belonged to Miss Burdett Coutts, and were valued 
at nearly $200,000. At the same exhibition might 
have been seen a beautiful oval sapphire, and another 
in the form of a drop, and of very unusual size and 
beauty, belonging to a rich Eussian countess. 

The Imperial Crown of the First Order of the Czar 
of Eussia contains an enormous blue sapphire of great 
beauty and value. The Eussian treasury also pos- 
sesses some others of great size and rare beauty. 
Among them is the famous light-blue stone which 
formerly belonged to the cabinet of the English 
banker, the late Mr. Hope. There is also a very 
large and celebrated sapphire, said to be of marvel- 
lous beauty in the Vienna Kronenschatze. Most of 



THE SAPPHIRE. 397 

the treasuries and regalias of Europe contain fine 
sapphires of value and beauty. Among the Crown 
jewels of France, there are two superb gems of 
twenty-seven karats each, one of nineteen karate, 
and about a dozen ranging in weight from nine to 
thirteen karate each. 

The Hindoos took great pleasure in carving images 
of their idols, and in making grotesque forms as well 
as talismans, from the precious stones found in their 
country ; and very many examples are shown to the 
traveller. The sapphire was often chosen for this 
purpose ; and neither its excessive hardness nor its 
high price offered any serious obstacles to the deter- 
mined votary or the superstitious grandee. There is 
a statuette of Buddha, one inch in height, carved by 
the Hindoos out of a perfect sapphire, in the Brit- 
ish Museum, which came from the sack of India. 
One of the richest reliquaries of any age or any 
country is the golden case at Kandy in Ceylon, 
which contains a tooth of Buddha, but which the 
naturalists declare to be the tooth of a monkey. 
Never was fancied sanctity so dearly enshrined. The 
dental specimen is enclosed in five golden cases fit- 
ting each other en suite and incrusted with the finest 
rubies, sapphires, and other gems Ceylon and India 
has afforded. 

Philostratus describes a chamber in the ancient 
Eoyal Palace of the Parthians at Babylon as follows : 
" It has a roof fashioned into a vault like the heaven, 
composed entirely of sapphires, which are the bluest 



398 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of stones, and resemble the sky in color. This is 
the chamber in which the King delivers his judg- 
ment." The Asiatics, in all periods of their semi- 
civilized history, made a lavish use of this gem in 
the decorations of their dwellings and their temples. 
Even the partial ruins of some of these edifices still 
to be seen in various parts of India, exhibit great 
beauty in their impaired mosaics of precious stones. 

The red sapphire is known in commerce as the 
Oriental ruby, and when in perfection is the most 
magnificent of gems, and is rarely approached in the 
beauty of its gorgeous hue by any other gem. The 
term ruby is an indefinite one, and refers to any stone 
of a rich red color. All these gems were classed 
together in the time of Pliny, under the generic 
name of " carbunculus," but the red sapphire was 
reckoned a variety, and especially referred to under 
the name of " lychnis." It is seldom found exceeding 
three karats in weight, and the distinguished min- 
eralogist, Beudant, declares that a perfect red sapphire 
of thirty troy grains is unknown, and would be of in- 
estimable value. It is a singular fact that while the 
blue variety should occur in masses and crystals of 
even several ounces in weight, the red is rare even 
at four karats. Modern mineralogists now maintain 
that all of the large historic rubies are spinels, but 
it is within the bounds of possibility that large red 
sapphires do occur sometimes as exceptions to an 
apparently rigid rule ; for we have lately received 
from the Ceylon mines a transparent crystal of pink 



THE SAPPHIRE. 399 

color which weighs two hundred and forty-one karats. 
It is also stated that the King of Arrakan possesses 
two magnificent prisms of one and a half inches in 
length and an inch in diameter. 

But of all the fine red sapphires which are known 
and proved, there are but few above five karats. The 
largest one of which we have any definite knowl- 
edge is the beautiful gem set in the Toison d'Or of 
the French Kegalia, and which weighs 8y 3 g karats 
(=26 grains troy). The inventory of the French 
gems in 1791 justly illustrates the comparative rarity 
and diminutive size of the stone ; for in this splen- 
did collection, which had accumulated during a long 
period^of time, and was then the richest in Europe, 
there were but four red sapphires above five karats, 
and only five above four karats. This variety is 
singularly liable to imperfections, and far more so 
than either the blue or the yellow. It is rare to find 
a ruby of the pure and characteristic pigeons' -blood 
tint that does not in some degree exhibit silky and 
opalescent fibres. This defect, which generally ap- 
pears as a milkiness in the interior of the gem, is due 
to minute crystals dispersed throughout the stone, 
and which become apparent when the mineral is 
viewed parallel to the primitive axis of the crys- 
tal. Hence, in cutting the rough stone, consider- 
able care must be exercised by the lapidary, so as to 
shape the gem and render its opalescence invisible. 
Rubies of exquisite color are often rendered com- 
paratively valueless on account of fibres, clouds, and 



400 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

chcalceclony-like bands. All the red sapphires, how- 
ever, are not affected in this way. The blood-red are 
much more liable than those which have a tinge of 
blue. We have examined a number of red sapphires 
perceptibly tinted with violet, which were com- 
pletely free from internal defects. This opalescence 
is never possessed by the spinel, and is therefore one 
of the distinguishing marks in testing the nature of 
the red gems. The red tourmaline is also strangely 
liable to internal fibres, hollow threads, clouds, and 
longitudinal streaks, and sometimes presents an ap- 
pearance similar to that of the ruby. The red sap- 
phire is also distinguished from the other varieties 
by being decidedly heavier, and also by being#softer 
than the deep-blue. 

Ceylon is famous for the abundance of blue sap- 
phires, while the red variety is comparatively rare. 
In Burmah, however, the red variety is the most 
abundant and of the finest hue. The Ceylon rubies 
are regarded as inferior in tint to those found in 
Ava and Pegu of the Burmese Empire ; but they 
are less inclined to be opalescent, and are there- 
fore more brilliant. The violet tinge of the Ceylon 
rubies lessens their beauty when viewed by daylight ; 
but it disappears in a great measure by artificial light, 
and the hue then becomes of a fine prismatic red, 
accompanied by the most vivid lustre ; therefore we 
may say in general terms that the Burmese rubies 
are the most beautiful by daylight, and that the 
Ceylonese are superior by night. 



THE SAPPHIRE. 401 

The finest mines of rubies in the world are near 
the Capelan Mountains in Ava. But concerning 
their extent, history, and exploration, very little is 
known. Colonel Synies, who visited the country in 
1795, with the British Embassy, stated that the rich- 
est and most valuable of the mines were then situated 
in the vicinity of the capital ; but that there were 
many other mines in various parts of the kingdom. 
The information concerning these remarkable depos- 
its is vague and uncertain even at the present day ; 
but sufficient is known to establish the fact that 
the geological formation is very similar to the gem 
beds of Ceylon and Lower Bengal. According to the 
publications of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the prin- 
cipal mines of Burmah are situated about seventy 
miles east of the capital; and the deposits are dis- 
covered by sinking pits at various depths in the 
earth until the gem stratum is reached. It appears 
to be precisely like the conglomerate of Ceylon, and 
occurs at a depth varying from two to forty feet be- 
low the surface. 

It is stated that all of the fine gems above a 
certain weight are monopolized by the king, who 
styles himself " Lord of the rubies," and conse- 
quently but very few find their way to the marts 
of other nations. It is also stated that the gems 
are polished at AmarapoOra, where there are about 
twenty lapidary establishments ; and that pulver- 
ized blue sapphire, or the massive corundum spar, 
which is a trifle harder than the red variety, is used 

26 



402 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

as . the abrading material. All of the mines are 
jealously guarded from the visits of Europeans ; 
and when Professor Oldham was allowed to ex- 
amine some of them in 1855, he could learn of 
but one European who had previously seen them. 
This favored person was a deserter from the British 
army, and was employed by the king as superin- 
tendent of the mines. 

This gem is so highly prized in Burmah that 
when a fine gem is discovered a procession is formed 
of grandees, elephants, and soldiers, and sent out 
to meet it and escort it to the royal treasury. The 
long and exclusive possession of these mines has 
enriched the Crown immensely ; but nothing is 
known with certainty. Colonel Symes, however, saw 
some of the state carriages of the King of Ava, 
which were splendidly decorated with jewels. One 
of these carriages was a magnificent and singular 
production of art. Its decorations were so profuse 
and contained so many precious stones set in silver 
and gold, that it presented one entire blaze of the 
most brilliant colors. A vast variety of gems were 
used in the construction of this truly Oriental ve- 
hicle; and among them were to be seen diamonds, 
rubies, white and blue sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, 
garnets, topazes, and crystals of all kinds. Another 
of these queer barbaric monuments of art was lately 
exhibited at Eangoon. It is known as the Eoyal 
Hitee. This grotesque piece of architecture, with 
fantastic name, is a light edifice thirty-five feet high, 



THE SAPPHIRE. 403 

formed of seven terraces, surmounted by an umbrella, 
which is the emblem of royalty. The terraces were 
richly inlaid with gold and precious stones ; and 
the sacred umbrella was profusely decorated with 
valuable rubies, pearls, diamonds, and emeralds. 

Eambusson has recently stated that none of the 
mines yielding rubies have been worked for one 
hundred and fifty years ; and that all of the gems 
now offered in commerce have been collected pre- 
viously. We think this author is somewhat mis- 
taken in this statement ; for we know that the 
Ceylon gem-deposit yields more of these gems at 
the present time than for a long time past ; and we 
do not quite believe that search for them has been 
entirely suspended in Siam or in Burmah. During 
the last years of the occupation of Ceylon by the 
Dutch, they exacted from the tribes of the interior 
of the island an annual tribute in the form of a 
certain quantity of precious stones. Hence the 
King of Kandy forbade further exploration for gems 
by the natives ; and so the gem-fields lay neglected 
for a long time. Lately, however, under the Eng- 
lish rule, the ancient fondness for gem-mining has 
revived among the Cingalese, and some fine gems 
have been discovered. In 1875 a native hunter 
found in a remote district of Siam some remarkable 
mines of red and blue sapphires; and explorations 
brought to light many valuable stones, which found 
their way to the gem marts of Eangoon and Cal- 
cutta. Splendid specimens were shown to Admiral 



404 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

Coote ; and the consul at Bangkok saw a magnifi- 
cent stone of three hundred and seventy karats, 
which yielded a blue gem of one hundred and eleven 
karats weight, and of the finest water. 

Eubies are even now scarce in India, and probably 
always will be, since the demand for them is very 
great among the wealthy of the populous nations of 
that country. Even three centuries ago Tavernier 
found it profitable to buy them in Europe and sell 
them again in the country whence they had been 
taken perhaps many centuries before. Eed sapphires 
not only exhibit singular internal structures, but they 
may be colored strangely, thus puzzling the experi- 
mentalist to account for the distribution of coloring 
matter. Davila possessed a fine and rare ruby which 
exhibited a clear white band between two parts of 
reel. Another gem showing a strange arrangement 
of color was to be seen in the cabinet of Chantilly. 
It was half red and half yellow. Stones of such 
distribution of color are marvels of rarity ; but it is 
quite common to meet with them partly red and 
blue or white, or blue and yellow. They sometimes 
display a vague dichroism which is not so well defined 
as in the iolite or tourmaline. The naturalist Fanjas 
found at Expailly, in France, a transparent sapphire 
which, viewed in one direction, exhibited a green hue 
approaching the emerald in its beauty of tint, but 
when seen in another light it appeared of a very 
beautiful blue. In the Orleans collection there was 
a curious sapphire which had been engraved with the 



TEE SAPPHIRE. 405 

figure of a woman, the head being formed of white, 
and the dress of intense blue. It is related that M. 
Bossi, of Milan, who was an excellent connoisseur in 
gems, saw in possession of Prince Metsch a superb 
sapphire which appeared to be dotted with flakes of 
gold. We sometimes notice this singular appearance 
in»the interior of other gems, and find by the use of 
the microscope that it is due to internal flaws or re- 
flections from plate-like crystals within the stone. We 
are inclined to believe that this gem of Prince Metsch 
is to be classed with the sapphire owned by Abbe 
Pullini, which had been engraved upon by the an- 
cients. This stone, when viewed in a certain direction, 
exhibited flakes of gold in the interior, which dis- 
appeared when the view was changed, which would 
hardly have been the case if the reflections had been 
produced by opaque bodies. We have before us a 
polished Siberian beryl which shows flakes of silver- 
white in certain lights, but which appear of dark- 
brown when the axis of vision is changed. 

The Crown of England possesses some large and 
beautiful colored rubies, but they are probably spinels. 
The large one standing in the centre of the Maltese 
cross on top of the British crown is probably a 
spinel, but nevertheless of great beauty. It is also 
a gem of considerable historic interest, if we can 
believe the traditions that cluster around it, and it 
is believed to be the identical stone given to the 
famous Black' Prince of England, by King Pedro of 
Castile, after the battle of Najara. Tradition also 



406 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

asserts that King Henry V. of England wore it in 
the front of his helmet, in the bloody battle of 
Agincourt, about a hundred years later. Its earlier 
history seems to be lost. Perhaps this is the iden- 
tical ruby given in 1360 to Eudolph II. of Austria 
by the Queen Dowager of France. When Peter the 
Great visited England he gave one of the members of 
the royal family a very beautiful ruby which he care- 
lessly took from his vest pocket. The last message 
sent by Mary, Queen of Scots, before execution to the 
Duke of Guise was accompanied with a beautiful ruby 
ring, as proof of the credibility of the messenger. 

The King of Burmah is said to possess an immense 
ruby of wonderful beauty, of the size of a pigeon's 
egg, but there is no authentic record of it. Tavernier 
mentions a ruby of 50 karats and another of 17|- 
karats, which he saw in possession of the King of 
Visapour ; but as all gems of fine red color were then 
classed as rubies, we are ignorant of their nature. 
Among the numerous articles of loot obtained by the 
French in the sack of the Summer Palace at Pekin, 
was the necklace of the Emperor of China. This 
celestial jewel was formed of green jade stones of 
delicate color, perforated and strung upon a cord, 
to the centre of which was attached a monster red 
stone, of the nature of which we are not informed. It 
has been stated that the East India Company has the 
largest specimen of red sapphire known, but we are 
unable to vouch for the statement. The largest ruby 
seen in India by Garcia was of twenty-four karats 



THE SAPPHIRE. 407 

weight. Chardin, however, describes a magnificent 
one among the crown jewels of Persia, in the year 
1666. This matchless gem was as large as a hen's 
egg cut in half, and was of superb color. On its 
superior face the name of " Chaic Sophy " had been 
engraved by one of its former possessors. 

The Crown of Eussia possesses the finest and most 
valuable collection of rubies in the civilized world. 
Some of them are of enormous size and are probably 
spinels, but they are nevertheless of great beauty and 
value. The degree of color gives the true value to 
the gem, no matter what its composition may be, if 
its hardness is equal to quartz. Among the red gems 
of lesser size there are undoubtedly red sapphires of 
value, but we have no positive details concerning 
them. In fact, all of the red stones of fine hues 
are classed as rubies without regard to their nature. 
The famous ruby placed under the cross in the Eus- 
sian crown of Anna Ivanovna is said to have been 
bought at Pekin by the Eussian ambassador for 
120,000 roubles. It is indeed a wonderful gem, 
and is one of the marvels of the mineral world, 
whether its material be corundum, tourmaline, or 
spinel. It is now known that the Chinese have 
mines of rubies in the mountains of the Province of 
Yu-Nan, and it is possible that this gem may have 
come from that locality. The tourmaline deposits of 
Nertschinsk, which yield gems of splendid red hues, 
are not far distant from Pekin, and those mines may 
claim the honor of producing this rare stone. 



408 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

The throne of gold, called by the Persians Takdis, 
was supported on feet formed of rubies. One of 
the seal rings of Chosroes II. was a pink ruby, 
with the legend engraved upon it, " Eiches are the 
source of prosperity." The fifth seal ring was. a red 
ruby, bearing the legend, " Splendor and prosperity." 

The flowers, composed of the finest gems afforded 
by the mines of India, and placed by Shah Jehan 
on the tomb of his beautiful wife, in that wonderful 
mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, were the most precious 
ever made. The roses of these garlands were made 
of the finest rubies ; and the leaves were composed 
of emeralds, which were made to glisten with dia- 
mond spray. The screen which was built around 
the tomb was carved from marble, and as delicately 
wrought as a veil of lace ; and along its borders, 
lilies, tulips, roses, and other beautiful flowers, com- 
posed of precious stones, w T ere inlaid in the marble. 

The tomb of Mahomet, at Medina, must contain 
some superb gems and works of the goldsmith's art. 
Here is to be seen that masterpiece of embroidery, 
the veil of Kunderas, which is composed of in- 
wrought pearls and various precious stones of the 
value of ten millions of rupees. The faithful relate, 
that when the rays of the morning sun glance 
over it, its wonderful beauty seems enhanced by 
invisible influences. The famous sympathetic ruby 
of the sacred Kaaba, now preserved in the temple 
at Mecca, and believed to have fallen from the 
heavens at the beginning of the world, is undoubt- 



THE SAPPHIRE. 409 

edly an aerolite. The fiery red hue which it exhibited 
when traversing the sky, coming from unknown 
space, gave rise to the tradition of its being a 
latent ruby whose gleams of beauty had been 
temporarily suspended. 

The yellow variety of sapphire is quite common, 
.and exhibits many of the finest shades of yellow ; 
but they are generally very faint in tint and often 
like the lemon in hue. They are exceedingly liable 
to imperfections, and especially to that opalescence 
which so often disfigures the red sapphire. Fine 
specimens, therefore, possessing transparency and 
beauty of color, are rare gems. But when it does 
occur in perfection, it forms a magnificent gem, 
which is only surpassed by the yellow diamond 
and zircon. Its rich golden hues, with soft and 
satin-like flashes, -are far superior to the Brazilian 
topaz. 

The Museum of Natural History in Paris pos- 
sesses one of the finest yellow sapphire's known. It 
is a wonderfully lustrous gem of fine color, and 
measures nearly an inch in length by half an inch 
in breadth. There is also in the same cabinet a 
strange gem which was once placed among the 
crown jewels of France. It was mentioned in the 
famous inventory of 1791, as a singular corundum 
of 19-j 2 ^ karats weight, and of 6,000 francs value. 
It had been polished in the form of an elongated 
oval, and exhibited the remarkable appearance of 
being deep-blue at the extremities and yellow in the 



410 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

centre. This singular distribution of color is not 
often seen in fine specimens, although it is fre- 
quently met with among the inferior. We have 
also had the pleasure of examining another large 
gem, cut into the form of a brilliant, whose diagonal 
corners were blue and yellow, and yet, such was its 
play of dichroism, that light reflected through these 
two colors produced but a faint tinge of green. 

This double arrangement of coloring is sometimes 
seen with blue and red sapphires, or yellow, blue, 
and white ; but we have learned of but one fine gem 
displaying the red and yellow. Several of the trans- 
parent crystals from North Carolina exhibit the two 
hues in the same crystal; and we have seen one 
that was actually red, yellow, white, and blue. But 
the specimen was not sufficiently perfect to form 
a gem. Sometimes the yellow hues are of a green- 
ish cast, and then they resemble the finest of the 
golden chrysoberyls, or they may approach the more 
verdant shade of the peridot. It is said by the anti- 
quaries that none of the collections of ancient Greek 
and Eoman engraved gems possess a single speci- 
imen in yellow sapphire. This singular absence 
may be partly accounted for by its rarity in per- 
fection, and also from its liability to appear pale 
when set in gold. 

In the French casket of gems, in the year 1791, 
mention was made of a superb yellow sapphire of 
27^ karats, two of 13 karats each, and one of 11 
karats, all of which were valued at 8,900 francs. 



THE SAPPHIRE. 411 

The beautiful specimen now exhibited in the Cab-' 
inet of Minerals, in the Garden of Plants at Paris, 
which is of the purest and richest color, joined with 
wonderful lustre, is supposed to be the gem men- 
tioned above among the crown jewels. The French 
amateur and writer on gems, Caire, once possessed 
a remarkable and charming yellow sapphire of the 
great weight of twenty-nine karats. Its former Hin- 
doo owner had seriously impaired its beauty by 
drilling a hole in one extremity for the purpose of 
suspension; and had also engraved on its sides in- 
scriptions in Arabic, which were probably condensed 
quotations from the Koran to preserve the possessor 
from harm. 

The green variety is probably the rarest of all the 
forms of sapphire, and finely tinted stones are very 
seldom seen. They are generally of a faint sea-green 
tinge, and resemble beryls in their hues. But when 
they do occur of grass -green color, they form mag- 
nificent gems and far exceed the true emerald in 
lustre and brilliancy. We very much doubt, how- 
ever, if they ever approach the emerald in its exqui- 
site shade of green. We have examined many green 
stones from the Ceylon gem mines, and with one 
exception have found them to be green spinels, zircons, 
and tourmalines of various intensities of shade. The 
one undoubted specimen referred to was of an impure 
hue. The celebrated Eome de LTsle possessed two 
beautiful crystals of green sapphire. When they 
display the sea-green hue or the mountain-blue of 



412 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

the beryl, they are then called Oriental aqua-marines, 
but fine stones of this description are not common. 
We have seen some small but very beautifully tinted 
gems of this class from the gold fields of Montana. 
Barbot speaks with ecstasy of two green sapphires 
from Matura in Ceylon, and which far exceeded any 
other gem in their velvety color, limpidity, and 
brilliancy. It is possible that these two gems may 
have been zircons, as these stones abound in Matura, 
and are of the most vivid lustre when perfect. But 
stones of fine green hues of this mineral are exceed- 
ingly rare. We have also seen a specimen of trans- 
parent corundum from Siam which was dichroite, blue 
and green one way, and entirely green the other. It 
called to mind that found at Expailly in France, by 
the naturalist Fanjas, and which appeared of an 
almost emerald green when viewed in one direction, 
or of a most beautiful blue when the axis of vision 
was changed. 

The name girasole is applied to those gems that 
exhibit a peculiar radiance when exposed to the sun- 
beams. This curious play of light is seen in the 
transparent and translucent stones, but especially in 
the translucent. When the gem which possesses 
this quality is cut in the boss form it shows a glim- 
mering light brighter at one part than at another, 
owing to a peculiar internal refraction. The effect 
is very beautiful when the gem is of fine color, and 
the bright spot moves mysteriously over a more 
sombre ground as the stone is turned in various di- 



THE SAPPHIRE. 413 

rections. The sapphire rarely shows this property to 
the same perfection exhibited by one of the varieties 
of opal. We* have seen two specimens from the 
North Carolina corundum mines, which would have 
been very superior gems if they had not been trav- 
ersed in all directions by numerous cleavage planes. 
They were quite an inch in diameter, of a nodular 
form, and had been deposited in a ledge of ripidolite. 
One of the most remarkable varieties of the sap- 
phire is known as the asteria, which was so named by 
Pliny from the fact of its displaying diverging rays 
of light. This phenomenon is only seen in stones 
of semi-opacity or inferior clearness, and the star-like 
rays are so arranged as to be inclined to each other 
at an angle of 60 degrees. These stones may be of 
various colors, — blue, red, or gray, — yet the rays of 
the star are always white or faintly tinged, and stream 
forth in beautiful contrast to a ground of delicate 
blue or decided red. The stars appear the most 
distinctly to view when the polished gem is exposed 
to direct sunlight or a small bright flame. This 
mysterious play is seen in but few of the gems, and 
the sapphire exhibits it in its greatest perfection. It 
is indeed a curious thing to see a six -rayed star with 
long silken beams of light suddenly appear to view 
as the gem is turned to the light, and as quickly dis- 
appear as the focus is changed. No wonder the 
ancients believed the appearance due to supernatural 
powers. The microscope, however, has disclosed to 
the moderns the cause of the asterism. This instru- 



414 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

ment reveals multitudes of minute crystals within 
the stone, arranged in three different but equal an- 
gles. To obtain the stellate appearance in perfec- 
tion, then, the stone must be cut and polished in 
cabochon or dome-like form. The apex of the gem 
is then in a direct plane to these angles, being per- 
pendicular to the axis of the primitive form of the 
crystal, and therefore the rays of light are reflected 
from the sides of these multitudinous crystals pro- 
ducing the asterism. 

As we have said before, some other minerals ex- 
hibit this phenomenon at times. We find it in rare 
specimens of quartz and in some of the mica group. 
In some rare fragments of quartz from Siberia the 
stellate appearance is seen in extraordinary perfection. 
The six-rayed star is not only seen by refracted light, 
but is even visible by transmitted light. Sometimes 
these stones also exhibit reflections of red and blue 
as the direction of the stone is changed, thus combin- 
ing the girasole and asteria in the same gem. Lan- 
con relates that M. Desmaret possessed a little plate 
of this variety of quartz, of so great beauty and per- 
fection as to refuse 25,000 francs for it. There is in 
the Museum of the Jarclin des Plantes a remarkable 
diamond asteria ; and there are also in this collection 
and in the cabinet of the Ecole des Mines some 
superb blue and red sapphire asterias. 

The pure white sapphires are not often found. 
When well cut they exhibit a vivid eclat, and are 
sometimes mistaken for diamonds; but they are 



THE SAPPHIRE. 415 

easily detected by the expert, since they do not pos- 
sess even three fourths of the degree of brilliancy 
of the diamond, nor the prismatic play of color. 
Some of the faint-colored stones lose their tints 
when subjected to a high degree of heat, and im- 
prove in brilliancy and lustre. It is said that the 
Orientals practise this trick extensively, and sell the 
altered gems for diamonds. We are not aware of 
the refractive index of these fire-tested stones having 
been measured with the view of ascertaining the de- 
gree of change ; but it is certain that their lustre is 
increased in a marked degree. Heat, however, does 
not affect all colored sapphires. Some of the red are 
often changed to deeper hues, and others are not 
affected. Brogniart found that the French sapphires 
from Expailly were actually rendered more intense in 
color by the action of fire. After numerous experi- 
ments with the faint-colored sapphires from Montana, 
we also have come to the conclusion that the stones 
from this locality are not perceptibly affected by 
long-continued heat. 

Sir David Brewster, in conducting, his famous ex- 
periments in optics, was of the opinion that the white 
sapphire, on account of its structure and its refractive 
power, was superior to all other transparent minerals 
for lenses for the microscope. The diamond, which 
one would naturally suppose to be the most perfect 
material for the purpose, on account of its high re- 
fractive power and apparent clearness, is really faulty, 
and comparatively worthless on account of its internal 



416 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

structure. If the white sapphire is of such excellence 
in this respect, on account of its compactness and 
refractive power, wliy will not the white zircon prove 
far superior as a lens, as it is the most compact, 
transparent, hard mineral known, and its refractive 
power is much greater than that of the sapphire ? 
Black sapphires are now and then mentioned by 
authors, but we are inclined to believe that they are 
very rare ; for Davy declares that he met with but 
two or three specimens in his travels in India or 
Ceylon. Blue stones of very deep hue appear some- 
times quite black ; but when they are placed in a 
strong light, and viewed in another direction, the blue 
tinge clearly appears. The violet sapphire of perfect 
hue is a very rare gem, and may be regarded as an 
accidental stone, being formed of an admixture of the 
blue and the red. Davy, in all his extended researches 
in Ceylon, found but two specimens of violet sapphire ; 
and in our examinations of the rough gems from the 
mines, we are inclined to think the purple spinel is 
often supposed to be a purple sapphire. Rome de 
L'Isle found that this variety of sapphire is oftener 
ruby-violet than sapphire-violet, or that the red tinge 
prevailed more distinctly than the blue. The lilac- 
blue are exceedingly rare, and are eagerly sought for 
by amateurs. 

There are some sapphires which exhibit a double 
play of colors when viewed by natural and then by 
artificial light. For instance, they may display a 
decided blue color by day and an amethystine tint 



THE SAPPHIRE. 417 

by night. D'Auguy possessed a stone that showed in 
the daylight a beautiful, clear, and sparkling blue, but 
by candlelight it changed to a royal purple. The cause 
of this phenomenon is perhaps due to an excess of la- 
tent red in the stone, which, however, is not visible in 
the daytime ; but which is called forth by the differ- 
ence in the illuminating lights, as is shown in their 
spectra. The hyacinth sapphire is seldom seen, and 
when perfect is regarded as among the marvels of the 
species. Dutens possessed a fine one which had been 
engraved upon by the Greeks. 

The subject of the glyptic art, or engraving upon 
stones, is very interesting to the student who seeks 
for evidences and traces of the social life of man in 
early ages. The engraved cylinders of Babylon and 
Nineveh, with their cuneiform legends, carry us back 
to traditions two thousand years before the Christian 
era; and from the engraved scarabei of Egypt and 
Etruria we form some ideas of the people whose his- 
tory has otherwise been lost. We may, perhaps, con- 
sider the true era of the glyptic art as dating from the 
time of the Macedonian princes and the Persian con- 
quests, although it had been practised in a rude way 
from far earlier times. This art of cutting figures 
upon bright and richly colored, though minute stones, 
was quite as much admired among the ancients as 
the laborious skill, with its powerful blows, which 
produced the heroic statues out of bronze or marble. 
And perhaps we may say that these gems, in their 
estimation, were of greater value, not only on account 

27 



418 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

of their beauty and rarity and their minuteness, 
but also on account of their hardness, which defied 
the steel instruments, of the ordinary sculptor, and 
yielded only to the dust and splinters of the hardest 
minerals, like the sapphire and the diamond. "We 
may also safely affirm that the gem-engravers of the 
Alexandrian and Augustan ages were, in all that 
concerns excellence of design and composition, rivals 
of the most famous workers in marble and bronze. 
These admirable and wonderful artists contrived to 
enclose within the narrow limit of a little stone all 
the complicated details of an event in history, or of 
a fable in mythology ; and to make them stand forth 
in beautiful relief as a cameo, or to sink them down 
as an intaglio, with all that truth of design and power 
of expression which characterize the excellence of the 
largest works of the most consummate masters. 

By means of these engraved gems, miniature but 
accurate copies of some of the celebrated masterpieces 
and noblest works of ancient sculptors have been 
preserved to us, while the originals have been de- 
stroyed, and even the record of them lost. An in- 
stance may be observed in the engraved gem in the 
Orleans cabinet, which is the only representation we 
now have of the famous statue of the Eepose of 
Hercules, by Lysippus. As a learned critic has said, 
in these gems we have the emanations, ever fresh and 
unfaded, of the feelings and the taste of those ages 
when the love of the beautiful was the all-prevailing 
and almost sole religion, and flourished unfettered by 



THE SAPPHIRE. 419 

tradition, prejudice, and conventional rules; whilst 
from the universal demand during those same ages for 
engraved gems, whether for signets or for personal or- 
naments, artists of the highest ability did not disdain 
the narrow field of the precious stone as the arena 
for the exercise of their power. The unparalleled 
Vigor and perfection of many of these performances 
are a sufficient proof that they proceeded directly 
from the master's hand, and were not mere slavish 
copies, by a mechanic, after designs created by the 
genius of another. The lovers of the fine arts may 
derive much benefit from the study of the antique 
in this particular branch of workmanship. What 
is there more pleasant than the contemplation of 
the work of the artists of antiquity; and to behold, 
shut up, as it were, within the narrow compass of a 
small gem, all the majesty of a vast design and a 
most elaborate performance ? During the flourishing 
periods of the Greeks countless statues were carved 
by numerous artists ; and it has been stated that 
Lysippus alone executed fifteen hundred, all perfect, 
and some of them colossal. Throughout Asia Minor, 
Greece, and Italy every town had its temple, gymna- 
sium, or forum peopled with statues of those among her 
sons who had in any way distinguished themselves 
in arms, letters, or public games. These became the 
spoil of the later Eomans, and an incredible number 
were transported to Eome from time to time. Nero 
is said to have selected from Delphos alone five hun- 
dred bronze statues for transportation to Eome. The 



420 LEISURE HOURS AMONG TEE GEMS. 

Etruscan bronzes were quite as plentiful ; and Flac- 
cus is said to have carried away in triumph two 
thousand statues from the sack of Volsinii. 

From these statements in ancient history con- 
cerning the number of large wc*ks in statuary, we 
can form some idea of the inexhaustible treasury 
of portraiture in another and oftentimes less costly 
material. It is estimated that for a period of three 
hundred years, the engraved gems were manufactured 
in countless numbers all over the Eoman world. It 
is a little curious that licentious scenes and figures 
are never or rarely found on antique gems. 

Among the gems preserved in the museum of the 
Vatican may be seen two engraved intaglios of 
early date, upon sapphires of an amethystine hue. 
Among the most beautiful of the engraved sapphires 
that have been preserved to us from ancient times 
is that of Cneus, now placed in the cabinet of the 
Strozzi, in Italy, which represents the figure of 
young Hercules. In the collection of gems at 
Turin there is a white sapphire, on which a fine 
head of Tiberius has been engraved. There may 
be seen among the crown jewels of Eussia a beauti- 
ful sapphire of two shades, engraved with a repre- 
sentation of a female figure enveloped in drapery. 
The figure is engraved in the darker shade of the 
stone, while the drapery is carved from the lighter 
part. The French cabinet boasts of a very fine 
blue sapphire with an engraving representing the 
Emperor Pevtinax. 



THE SAPPHIRE. 421 

King, the excellent and tireless antiquary, mentions, 
in his chapter on the hyacinthus, several beautiful 
and unique engraved sapphires. He states that en- 
graved gems of this class, dating to times previous to 
the Imperial epoch, are extremely rare ; still, there 
are extant some undoubted specimens, among which 
swe a small Etruscan scarabeus and a magnificent 
head of Jupiter, executed in the purest Greek style. 
The accidental discovery of the last indicates how 
many more of the fine gems of antiquity may yet 
appear in course of time to gladden the lovers of 
the glyptic art. This gem was an inch in diameter, 
and of fine color ; bat to utilize it to the wants of 
the Turkish possessor, who wished to set it in the 
handle of his dagger, the engraved side was set 
downward and thus preserved from injury, while 
the back of the stone was rudely faceted by some 
Eastern lapidary. A Medusa's head of the same 
style of execution, upon a stone of remarkable 
beauty, is one of the chief glories of the celebrated 
Marlborough collection. In the same museum there 
is another larger and deeper-hued sapphire bearing 
the head of Caracalla, the short, curly hair of the 
irascible tyrant being represented by a series of 
minute holes closely drilled together. One of the 
most famous of all engraved gems of this material 
is the signet ring of Constantius. The stone is one 
of great beauty and perfection, and weighs fifty- 
three karats. Its engraving represents the Em- 
peror as spearing a monstrous wild boar before a 



41'2 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

reclining female figure, personifying Csesarea of Cap- 
padocia, the scene of exploit. It bears an inscription 
in proof of its royal use, — the letters " Constantivs 
Avg." King mentions another fine specimen of the 
time of Hadrian, representing "Hebe feeding the 
eagle." It was heart-shaped in form, of fine color, 
and quite an inch and a half in diameter. 

The museums of Europe contain many examples 
of mediaeval and modern engraved sapphires, one 
of the finest of which is the famous portrait of Pope 
Paul III. among the Pulsky gems, and attributed 
to II Greco. It is a very beautiful stone, and three 
quarters of an inch square. In the Marlborough 
cabinet there is an extraordinary specimen of a 
thumb ring of high antiquity, cut from a single 
stone, but of rather a pale tint. Rings containing 
both plain and engraved sapphires have been the 
appointed symbol of church authority from a very 
early day. They have often been bestowed as the 
badge of pontifical rank, and the custom has de- 
scended to the present day. King devotes an inter- 
esting chapter to the history and description of this 
class of ornaments and symbols ; and to his pages 
we must refer the interested reader. 

Engraved red sapphires of ancient date are ex- 
tremely rare, so rare that the experienced antiqua- 
ries, Lessing and Clara c, deny the existence of any 
antique intaglios of this variety. Investigation has 
proved that many of the supposed engraved rubies 
are really red spinel, garnet, or zircon. Neverthe- 



THE SAPPHIRE. 423 

less, there are a few examples to prove that the 
ancients did make use of the gem in the glyptic 
art, although the act was regarded as one of extreme 
extravagance, from the rarity, costliness, and beauty 
of the material. The Devonshire parure exhibits a 
convex red sapphire of about three karats weight, 
"of pure pigeons' -blood tint, and engraved with a 
Venus Victrix in the latest Eoman manner. An- 
other shows a full-length figure of Osiris, in half- 
relief, of the time of Hadrian. In the museum of 
the Jardin des Plantes there are said to be two 
engraved red sapphires. 

There are but few gems with which the blue 
sapphire can be confounded. The blue diamond can be 
easily detected by its superior brilliaucy and hardness. 
It is very rare that the tourmaline appears of a deep 
blue, and still more rare for the topaz to assume the 
appearance except of the very light varieties, and the 
same may be said of the beryl. The iolite, which, 
however, is a very rare mineral, may resemble the 
blue sapphire, but its inevitable dichroism betrays its 
character. Turn the gem before the eye, and the de- 
ception vanishes ; the blue disappears as if by magic, 
and the stone is gray. Kyanite sometimes appears 
of the most beautiful blue tints, but its softness in- 
dicates its nature, and prevents its use as a gem. 
The glass- workers, however, produce the most beau- 
tiful and attractive imitations of sapphire, and of all 
colors, lacking but one desideratum, and that is the 
thus far unattainable degree of hardness. The red, 



424 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

green, yellow, and white varieties may all of them be 
closely approached in color by other gems, and the 
best methods of detection are the tests of specific 
gravity, degree of hardness, and the optical phenomena. 

The blue variety of sapphire being less sought 
after in ornamentation than the diamond, has not had 
a fixed scale in valuation. Still, prior, or for a few 
years prior, to 1850, the ordinary sapphire was placed 
by jewellers upon the same valuation as the emerald, 
or at about $15 the karat. Since this period its 
value has quadrupled, but has not kept rjace with 
that of the emerald. The pale-blue stones have only 
a nominal value, and the same may be said of the 
very dark blue. But those sapphires which exhibit 
the perfect tint of the prismatic blue can command 
very high prices. 

The ancient Eomans excelled in their imitations 
of the ruby, both in hardness, color, and lustre ; and 
a number of examples are yet preserved in. some of 
the European cabinets. The bold robber, Charles, the 
Duke of Burgundy, was the possessor of several 
famous gems which he carried with him on his 
campaigns, and used as personal decorations on par- 
ticular occasions. One of the choicest of them was 
a monster ruby more than an inch in diameter, which 
the famous Margaret of Anjou had given him. On 
that fatal day at Grandson it was placed with the 
historic diamond in a golden box, and left in the tent 
of the Duke, where it was captured by the moun- 
taineers. The gems were carried to Berne by the 



THE SAPPHIRE. 425 

victorious Swiss, and afterwards offered for sale to 
the rich Nuremberger, Jacob Fugger. Then it was 
discovered by the expert that the ruby was indeed 
a lump of red glass of ancient make, and probably of 
the date of the Eoman Empire. 

As the red sapphire is one of the rarest as well as 
the most beautiful of all gems, its value is in keeping 
with its attributes. As it overpowers all other gems 
with its gorgeous red, which is a pure prismatic hue, 
so it transcends all others in price. There are but 
very few gems with which it can be confounded in 
color. But no matter what the material may be, 
provided it displays the royal tint. It is extremely 
rare that the red tourmaline or spinel exhibit the 
perfect tint which is the characteristic of the red 
sapphire. The zircon sometimes displays a fine red 
color, and may imitate the sapphire. It is also 
within the range of possibilities that the diamond 
and garnet may closely resemble the true ruby. We 
have seen small garnets that exhibited the pigeons'- 
blood tint. The scarcity of the ruby is so great that 
fine gems are only to be acquired by the very wealthy. 
In the times of Cellini, three centuries ago, the 
price of the red sapphire was eight times that of the 
diamond. And to-day we may safely adopt Cellini's 
estimate, for the gem is so rare that we cannot readily 
compute its value in comparison with the diamond, 
which is so abundant. 

King, in commenting upon the valuation of pre- 
cious stones during the past three hundred years, 



426 LEISURE HOURS AMONG THE GEMS. 

mentions two fine rubies which were sold in London 
recently for enormous sums of money. One of three 
karats brought $1,500 ; while another of finer tint, of 
less than four karats (11 grains), was sold for $5,500, 
or for $500 a grain, which price is quite equal to 
Cellini's estimate made in the year 1560. 



INDEX. 



INDEX. 



Abbas Murza, 214. 

Abbe" Hatty, views of, 75, 91, 253, 

37.1. 
Abbey of St. Dennis, gems of, 

* 230, 320. 
Acber, banquet of, 209. 
Achille de Sahcy, 172. 
Adamas, 15, 89" 
Adamantine flash, 91. 

spar, 393. 
Adolphus, marriage of, 123. 
Advice of Rabelais, titlepage. 
Agrah diamond, 213. 
Ahmed's ring, 110. 
Alaric and his Goths, 121, 122. 
Alexander, Emperor, 177. 

fetes of, 115, helmet, 229. 

marriage of, 287, ring. 289. 

Palace, collections of, 140. 
Alfred de Vigny, poem on the dia- 
mond, 12. 
Alla-ud-deen, 209. 
Amsterdam diamond ratters, 242. 
Ancient gem localities, 48. 

gems and regalia, 106. 

glass, 323, 325, 351, 352. 

monster emeralds, 325. 
Anna Ivanovna, Empress, 136. 
Anne Boleyn, jewel of, 192. 
Antitheses of carbon, 16. 
Aqua marines, 318-320. 



Arabian romance writers' fancies on 

gems, 363. 
Asiatic gems, 201. 
Assyrians and gems, 369. 
Asteria sapphires, 414, 415. 

quartz, 416. 
Augustus the Strong, gems of, 

225. 
Aurelian, triumph of, 119. 
Austrian gems, etc., 226, 227. 



B. 

Baba, trial of, 161. 

Babinet, views of, 99, 185, 223, 
263. 

Bahia, mines of, 39, 44, 45. 

Baillou's views on gems, 371. 

Baker, Sir Samuel, views, 381, 
382. 

Barbarossa, Emperor, 226. 

Barberini vase, 326. 

Barbot, views of, 108, 181, 256, 
257. 269, 306. 

Bariatinsky, jewels of, 155. 

Baron d' Eschwege, 39. 

Batavian display of diamonds, 
281. 

Begagem mines, 223. 

Beke, Dr., account of large dia- 
monds, 214. 

Belisarius, triumph of, 125. 



430 



INDEX. 



Bernier's estimate of Persian gems, 

213. 
Berquen, lapidary, 167, 238, 241, 

272. 
Beryl, 145, 311, 320, 332. 
name derived from, 317. 
of English Crown, 318. 
Bendant, Prof., views of, 99, 398. 
Bheen, temple of, 209. 
Biot, views of, 72. 
Blue beryls of Ireland, 316. 
diamond of France, 163. 
of Mr. Hope, 189. 
of Munich, 226. 
Boetius de Boot, views of, 105. 
Bohmer, French jeweller, 179. 
Bordeaux, architect of Peacock 

Throne, etc., 219. 
Borghis, Horteiisio, lapidary, 202, 

203. 
Brewster, Sir David, views of, 65, 

184, 259, 263. 
Bronze horses of Venice, 127. 
Brunswick, Duke, gems of, 232. 
Buchanan, views of, 32, 34, 74. 
Buffon's views, 59, 380. 
Burial of Cardinal Borromeo, 290. 

Lord Palmerston, 290. 
Burning-of-Troy opal, 353. 
Byzantium, 129, 130, 139. 



Caesar, ring of, 289. 
Cagliostro, 175. 
Canopies of the Persians, 26. 
Cape de Verde, conglomerate, 61. 
Capture of Ctesiphon, 24. 
Caravans of the ancients, 26. 
Carbon, combinations of, 18. 
Carbonado, 45, 89, 104. 
Cardinal Borromeo, 233. 
Cardinal Mazarin, 242. 
Carpet taken at Ctesiphon, 24, 
Cascalho, 60. 



Cassia oil, refractive power of, 257. 
Castellani, collection of, 288, 289, 

352. 
Catherine, Empress, 153, 155. 
Cedrenus, the historian, 128. 
Cellini's value of emerald, 331. 

ruby, 427. 
Ceraunia, 363. 

Cerulean throne of the Nizam, 211. 
Ceylon mines, 26, 56, 64, 372. 
Chalice of Abbe 1 Suger, 161. 
Charlemagne, jewels of, 226, 239. 
Charles I., gems of, 194. 
Charles VIII. of France, 177. 
Charles the Bold, 167,242. 

bogus rubv, 426. 
Chladni, 71. 

Chosroes, palace of, 126. 
Chrysobeiyl, 95. 

Chrysostom, the historian, 129, 241. 
Church regalia, 232-234. 
Churches of England, ornaments 

of, 208. 
Cingalese gem miners, 374-378. 
Clay as an original deposit, 384. 
Claudian's description of treasures 

of Theodosius, 114. 
Claussen's views on the diamond, 

42, 43. 
Cleaveland's views, 315. 
Colesberg Kopje mines, 52. 
Coliseum decorated with gems, 119. 
Collection of armor, 142. 
Collections of the Arabs, 116. 

Mamelukes, 117. 
Color of fossils, etc., 82. 

gems, 82, 99-104. 
Comnenus, Emperor, 137. 
Conglomerate strata, 60. 
Connecticut beryls, 314. 
Constantine, 128. 
Constantinople, conquest of, 113, 

126, 127, 130. 
Constituents of perfumes, 19, 205. 
Coocha diamond, 205. 
Cortez, emeralds of, 2D4. 



INDEX. 



431 



Cortex's presents to Charles V.. 

296. 
Corundum, 368, 378, 388. 
Cossacks, 132. 

Coster, the lapidary, 184, 223. 
Count de Douhet, 45., 
Crawford's estimate of Borneo dia- 
mond, 218. 
Crown of Anna Ivanovna, frontis- 
piece. 

Austria, 227. 

Chosroes, 22. 

Goths of Spain, 321. 

Kazan, 139. 

Khan of Tartary, 22. 

Lombard v, 321. 

Muscovites, 136. 

Portugal, 222. 

Russia, 143. 

Saxony, 226. 

St. Stephen, 232, 300. 

Victoria, 179. 

Vlaclmir, 137. 
Cumberland diamond, 232. 
Cuneiform crystals, 369, 370, 378. 
Cup of Chosroes, 23. 

Theolinda, 326. 
Cutting of the diamond, 238. 

Kohinoor, 247. 

Mogul, 247. . 

Regent, 247. 

Star of the South, 247. 
Cystine calculi, change in color, 
308, 309. 



D. 

Daubenton's ideas of the gems, 

371. 
Davy, Dr., 394. 
De Dree's Cabinet, 101. 
De Laet, 240. 
Delattre, report on the French 

gems, 158. 
Delisle, 172. 



Demidoff, Prince, 173. 
Despret's experiments, 265. 
Development of insect life, 84. 

vegetation, 84. 
Devonshire gems, 288. 
Diamond, antiquity of, as a gem, 
21, 114. 
appearance of, in nature, 86. 
asteriated, 103. 
black, 45, 87, 89, 104. 
blue, 103, 163, 164, 222. 
bort, 87. 

Cascalho, or conglomerate, 60. 
celebrated Agrah, 213. 
blue, of France, 163. 
Daria-i-noor, 205, 213. 
De Dree, 102. 
Holland, 232. 
Hope, 103,164. 
Kohinoor, 151, 180, 206- 

208, 214, 263. 
Mogul, 181, 202, 205. 
Mountain of Splendor, 214. 
Munich, 103. 
Napoleon, 163. 
Nassac, 187. 
Orloff, 149, 187, 206. 
Paul Pindar, 195. 
Pigott, 187. 
Polar Star, 154. 
Prince Riccia, 102. 
red, of Russia, 107. 
Regent, 161, 164, 165, 187, 

206, 223, 263. 
Saucy, 166. 
Sea of Glory, 214. 
Shah, 150, 205. 
Stewart, 55. 
Sultan of Mattan, 36. 
Sultan's, 112. 
Taj-Mah, 213. 
yellow, of Austria, 227. 
Chancourtois, views, 69. 
cleavage of, 91, 245. 
color of, 97, 99, 100-104, 228. 
rough diamonds, 257, 258. 



432 



INDEX. 



Diamond, comparative brilliancy 
of, 93, 95. 

density of, 94. 
Cumberland, Duke of, 191. 
cut diamond, 241. 
deposition of, 20, 65. 
diminutive size of, 2G, 27. 
dispersive power of, 96. 
Du Toits Pan placer, 53. 
electric properties of, 88 ; hard- 
ness, 88, 90, 25. 
formation of, 59. 
forms of brilliant stvle, 244, 
251. 

brilliolette style, 252. 

rose style, 244, 251. 

table style, 250. 
globular forms, 87, 95, 245. 
green, 102, 135. 
imitations of, 265, 267. 

worn by Duchesse de Berri, 
268. 
influence of, 83. 
injured by fire, 256. 
in time of Emperor Severus, 22. 

Pliny, 15, 22, 20. 
localities of Africa, 53. 

Algiers, 52. 

America, 49, 50. 

Arabia, 51. 

Australia, 56. 

Borneo, 35. 

Brazil, 37. 

Golconda, 31. 

India, 30. 

Ireland, 47. 

Java, 56. 

Russia, 47, 48. 
necklace of Rohan, 174. 
old English style, 243. 
origin of, Arago's views, 69. 

Buffon's views, 59. 

Davy's views, 69. 

Goppert's views, 65. 

Hartt's views, 44. 

Humboldt's views, 43. 



Diamond, origin of, Lavoisier's 
views, 68. 
Newton's views, 67. 

pans, 62. 

phosphorescence of, 88. 

physical properties, 85. 

pink, 159, 228. 

placers, 58. 

prismatic display, 91, 96, 244. 

purity of, 262. 

quantitv of, in use, 279, 280. 

red, 107, 222, 

refraction of, 92, 97. 

rough, value of, 274. 

specific gravity of, 87. 

spiritual properties, 104. 

swindle of Arizona, 51. ' 

testing of, 253, 258-264. 

valueof, 269-282. 

yellow, 159, 227. 
Diminutive size of precious stones, 

392. 
Dogni collection, 104. 
Dolomieu, views, 70. 
Don Antonio, 171. 
Duke of Anjou, diamonds of, 240. 

Brunswick, diamonds of, 232. 

Buckingham, jewels of, 194, 
198. 

Burgundy, fete of, 241. 
Duten's views of the emerald, 151, 
285. 

E. 

Earl of Effingham, 1 51. 
Eastwick's account of Persian 

Treasury, 214. 
Eleanor of Provence, jewels of, 191. 
Electric properties of diamond, 88. 
Elf-bolts, 362. 

Elphinstone, British Envoy, 212. 
Emerald Isle, 301. 
Emeralds, 145-283. 

. abundance of, in Peru, 291. 
ancient, 285-291. 



INDEX. 



433 



Emeralds at Dresden, 301. 
at Florence, 300. 
Kandy, 302. 
Leiden, 301. 
Madrid, 302. 
Munich, 301. 
Home, 301. 
Vienna, 301. 
carved by the Mexicans, 294. 
color and composition of, 304, 
305, 307, 308, 315. 
• derivation of name, 290. 

engraved by Carlo Costanzi, 

302. 
found by Maj. Pearse, 304. 
given to Hortense, 299. 

Napoleon, 299. 
imitations of, 321-327. 
in times of Queen Elizabeth, 

297. 
localities of Africa, 331. 
Finland, 327. 
France, 327. 
in ancient times, 330, 

331. 
Norway, 327. 
United States, 309. 
Siberia, 328. 

South America, 306, 327. 
Tyrol, 329. 
mentioned by Heliodorus, 285. 

Pliny, 285, 287. 
of Dhuleep Singh, 301. 
Duke of Devonshire, 301. 
Charlemagne, 299. 
Cortez, 294. ' 
Emperor Jehangir, 302. 
French crown, 300. 
Mustapha of Tunis, 297. 
Pedro II., 11, 145. 
Prince of Virianagram, 302. 
Princess of Bariatinsky, 304. 
Queen of Navarre, 297. 
Rudolph II. at Dresden, 298. 
Runjeet Singh, 304. 
Russia, 298. 



Emeralds of Shrine of Loretto, 
301. 
of Sultan of Turkey, 300. 
pillage in Mexico and Peru, 
296. 
of Marshal Junot in Spain, 

303. 
of Marshal Lannes ia 
Spain, 303. 
price of, at various times, 331, 

332. 
rarity of, 291. 
sent by Elizabeth to Henri IV., 

299. 
supply of, 329. 
the Great Mother, 297. 
Empress of Austria, gift to the 

Archduke, 229. 
Enamels of the ancients, 215. 
Englehart, 47. 
English clergy, magnificence of, 

200. 
Engraved gems, 14, 288, 289, 320, 
351, 418, 424. 
abundance of, 421. 
Esterhazy, jewels of, 229-232. 



Fairs of Armenia, 26. 

gems, etc., in Ceylon, 385. 

Russia, 386. 
Ferishta, historian, 202, 211. 
Fetes of Alexander, 25. 
Fitchburg beryls, 313. 
Florentine diamond, 227. 
Francis I., emerald of, 296. 
Franka, Dr. Nello, 65. 
Freaks of nature, 79. 
French Regalia, 158. 

display of, in 1855, 166. 

inventory of, in 1791, 159. 
in 1810, 162. 
in 1849, 162. 

stolen, 160. 



28 



434 



INDEX, 



G. 

Garcias, 33. 

Gem engraving, 239, 240. 

Fairs of Ceylon, 385. 

Fairs of Russia, 386. 

mining in Ceylon, 374-378. 
Gems as abodes of spirits, 364. 

meaning of, 392, 

of Palace of Tezcuco, 293, 
Genseric, pillage "by, 124. 
Gifts to Charles V., 295. 
Girasole sapphires, 414. 
Glass gems, 267. 

ancient, 267. 
Globular forms of minerals, 385. 

petrifactions, 73. 
Glorious Masque, pageant of, 193. 
Glyptic art, 417. 
Godoy, 173. 
Gold nuggets, deposition of, 75. 

placers, 76. 

of Danube, 78. 
of Tesino, 78. 
Gomara, chronicles of, 295, 296. 
Goppert's views of gems, 65. 
Gothic and Grecian forms, 81. 

treasury at Toledo, 123. 
Gouttes d'eau, topaz, 95. 
Grandson, battle of, 169. 
Graphite, production of, 266. 
Great Harry, jewel, 193. 
Great Mogul diamond, 181, 186, 

202-206. 
Green diamond of Dresden, 225. 

garnets, 327. 

prase, 326. 

sapphires, 413. 

stones sought for by primitive 
man, 286. 
Greenockite, 93. 

H. 

Halpen gems, 100, 223. 
Hamlin, Dr. Cyrus, 106. 



Hardening of rocks on exposure, 
307. 

Harlai de Sancy, 170. 

Hartt, Prof., 44. 

Haiiy, Abb£, 75, 91, 253, 371. 

Helmreicher collection of diamonds, 
104, 228. 

Henrietta Maria, 172. 

Henry VIII., 170, 192. 

Heraclius, capture of Persian treas- 
ures, 126. 

Hermitage, gems of, 144. 

Hervey, Lord, 196. 

Herz collection of gems, 190, 191. 

Hidden, Win. E., naturalist, 309. 

Hiddenite, 309-311. 

High refractive power of fluids, 257. 

Hindoo's love of gems, 201, 386, 

Hitee, the royal, of Ava, 403. 

Holy synod of Moscow, ornaments, 
147. 

Honorius, rings of, 288. 

Hope beryl, 319. 

blue diamond, 103, 190. 
collection, 101, 102, 190. 

Horse gear of the Turks, 146. 

Hughen's views, 99. 

Humboldt's emerald, 328. 
views, 43. 

Hungarian opal mines, 349, 350, 354. 

Hyacinthus, 368. 

I. 

Ictinus, constructor of the Par- 
thenon, 369. 

Imitation gems, 265, 267, 321, 326, 
351. 

Indian arms, decoration of, 215. 

Iolite, 425. 

Iridescence of minerals, 341. 
quartz, 347. 

Iris, Marbodeus's description of, 348. 
ornaments of Empress Joseph- 
ine, 348. 

Itacolumite, 61. 



INDEX. 



435 



James II., 172. 

jewels of, 196. 
Jansetsee Jejeebhoy, 173. 
Jarlet, lapidary, 154. 
Jewish Temple, spoils of, 125. 
John VI., golden cane, 223. 
Joseph I., diamonds of, 222. 
Justinian, 125, 129. 



K. 

Kaaba, sacred stone, 410. 
Kaianian Belt, 215. 

Crown, 214. 
Karat, weight of, 264. 
Kazan, Cathedral of, 147. 

Crown of, 139. 
King, views of, 167. 
King of Ava, gems of, 217. 

Kabul, 212. 
Kohinoor diamond, 181, 206-208, 

212, 214. 
Korund, 368, 371. 
Kremlin, 132, 135, 141. 
Kyanite, 423. 



Lahore, Treasury of, 208. 

Lamartine, historian, 113. 

Lapis lazuli, 368. 

Lavoisier, views of, 67. 

Le Conte's description of Honduras 

Opal mines, 343, 346. 
opals, 355. 
Lecourbe, General, 157. 
Lewy's views on the emerald, 304- 

306. 
LTsle, Rome de, his views, 371. 
Linnseus's views, 370. 
Lithoscope, 259. 
Lollia Paulina, 22. 



Louis VII., 199. 

Low's work on Borneo, 217. 

Lucretius, poet, 73, 90. 



M. 

Maine beryls, 313. 
Maiolica pottery, colors ol, 352. 
Mandanga diamond mines, 38. 
Mansur Ben, views of, 90. 
Marbodeus's poem on emeralds, 284. 

sapphire, 366. 
Marc Antony's opal, 353. 
Marco Polo, celebrated traveller, 

380. 
Maria Theresa, cross of, 228. 
Marianna, account of emeralds, 295. 
Martyr, account of emeralds, 295, 

" 296. 
Mary Queen of Scots, jewels of, 193. 
Matura diamonds, 225. 
Mawe's visit to Lisbon, 221. 
Mellan, or gem conglomerate, 374, 

379. 
Minas Geraes diamond mines, 41. 
Mirror of Naples, diamond, 193. 
Missorium, or emerald table, 123. 
Mithridates, 130. 
Montezuma's mantle, 294. 
Morse, H. D., diamond establish- 
ment, 247, 272. 
Mosaics of precious stones, 398. 
Murat, General, uniform of, 229. 
Murchison's views, 43. 
Muzo, emerald mines of, 327. 



N. 

Nadir Shah, 151, 152, 186, 187, 

204, 206, 211. 
Narbonne, pillage of, 123. 
Nassac diamond, 187. 
Navajos, turquoises of, 293. 
Nero's Lens, 288. 



436 



INDEX. 



New Hampshire beryls, 314. 
Newera Ellia sapphire mines, 373. 
Newton's views, 67, 81, 92, 99. 
Nizam diamond, 217. 
North. Carolina sapphire mines, 388- 
390. 

o. 

Oldham, visit to the Burmah ruby- 
mines, 402. 
Oliva, actress, 175. 
Opal, 335. 

ancient mines of, 341, 349. 
Babinet's views of, 339. 
beauty of, 338. 
black variety of, 349. 
cause of its colored reflections, 

339, 340. 
commerce of, 367. 
Count Waliski, 354. 
Damour's experiments with, 

337. 
dandritic, 338. 
Delius' account of Hungarian 

opals, 350. . 
Descloizeaux, views of, 347. « 
described by Jackson, 355. 
division of, by Jameson, 338. 

Werner, 338. 
Dr. Le Conte's, 355. 
engraved, 351. 
formation of, 346, 347. 
Harlequin variety, 349. 
Hydrophane variety, 337. 
imitations of, 351. 
mines of, 341. 

Central America, 343. 
Gracias a Dios, 343. 
Honduras, 342. 
Hungary, 341-349. 
Queensland, 346. 
Zimapan, 348. 
Mohr's views of, 339. 
Newton's views of, 339. 
of Austria, 354. 



Opal of D'Auguy, 354. 

Empress Josephine, 353. 
Fleury, 354. 
France, 354. 
Humboldt, 354. 
Nonius, 352, 353. 
U. S. Centennial Exhibi- 
tion, 355. 
on image of Mexican deity, 355. 
physical properties of, 336, 337. 
purchase of, 357, 360. 
splendors of, 356. 
superstitious fancies regarding, 

361-364. 
treatment of, when mined, 350. 
value of, in rough state, 360. 

Nonius's gem, 361. 
varieties of, 338. 
Orb of Russia, 140. 
Order of the Golden Fleece, 225, 226. 
Origin of diamonds, 57. 

gems, 335. 
Orloff diamond, 149-152. 
Ottoman display of gems, 117. 

P. 

Passion for gems, etc., 280, 281. 

Paulina, gems of, 288. 

Peacock Throne, 210. 

Peligot's views on ancient glass, 

352. 
Persian emblems of authority, 287. 

treasures, 214-216. 
Peruzzi, inventor of the brilliant, 

251. 
Peysonnel, 72. 
Phidias, 369. 
Philip of Spain, 170, 196. 

wedding of, 197. 
Pictet, 71. 

Piggot diamond, 187. 
Pitt, Wm., and Regent diamond, 

164, 165. 
Placidia, marriage of, 123. 



INDEX. 



437 



Plato's views on gems, 73. 
Pliny's views on gems, 15, 285, 287, 

288, 328, 330, 331, 368, 369, 

414. 
Plumbago, or graphite, 16, 18. 
Plunder of Delhi, 204. 
Polariscope, 261. 
Poles, customs of, 134. 
Polycrates, ring of, 116, 288. 
Pompadour's jewels, 174. 
J'ompey, 130. 

ring of, 290. 
Pope Julius II., beryl of, 319. 
Potemkin, gems of, 154. 
Potemkin's plume, 145. 
Priest's treasury in the Kremlin, 

141. 
Prince Esterhazy jewels, 212, 229. 
Prismatic display of the diamond, 

92, 93, 96-98. 



Q- 

Queen Caroline, jewels of, 196. 
Elizabeth, jewels of, 197. 
Mary, jewels of, 196. 



R. 

Ealeigh, Walter, dress of, 198. 
Ralph Potter, lapidary, 243. 
Kambusson's remarks on ruby 

mines, 403. 
Ramusso, Venetian historian, 130. 
Ranee Ruthen's diamond, 218. 
Ratnapoora, sapphire mines of, 372, 

374. 
Ravenna, capture of, 125. 
Refractive power of gems, 259-262. 
Regale of France, gem, 199. 
Regalia of Charlemagne, 226. 

England, 179. 

France, 158. 

Russia, 132. 



Regent diamond, 161, 165. 
Richelieu's wreath, 160. 
Ring of Ahmed, 116. 
Polycrates, 116. 
Rohan, Cardinal de, 174. 
Rome, triumphs of, 119. 
Rome de L'Isle, description of dia- 
mond, 222. 
Rose-colored diamonds, 228. 
Rose diamonds, Antwerp form, 244, 
251. 
Holland form, 244, 251. 
Round brilliant, 222. 
Royalston, locality of beryls, 311- 

313, 315. 
Ruby, lustre of the potters of Urn- 
bria, 325. 
of Crown of Persia, 407. 
Crown of Russia, 407. 
East India Company, 407. 
King of Burmah, 406. 
Prince of Wales, 180, 406. 
price of, 427. 
seen by Garcia, 407. 
Runjeet Sing gems, 206-208. 



s. 



Sacred standard of Persia, 23. 

vestments, 127. 
Sacro catino — emerald dish, 323. 
Saffragan sapphire mines, 374. 
Sancy diamonds, 166-171. 
Sapphire, 365. 

black variety, 417. 

carved by the Hindoos, 397. 

colors of, 394, 398, 411-420. 

composition and characters of, 
387, 400. 

deposition of, 377-384, 389. 

engraved, 405, 412, 417-424. 

formation of, in Ceylon, 384, 
385. 

imitations of, natural and arti- 
ficial, 424, 425. 



438 



INDEX. 



Sapphire, mines of, 372, 378, 379, 
388-390. 
Ava, 401. 
Bengal, 393. 

Bohemia, 393. * 

Burmah, 400-403. 
Ceylon, 400-403. 
China, 408. 
Colorado, 392. 
Montana, 390, 391. 
North Carolina, 388, 411. 
Siam, 403. 
red, known as Oriental ruby, 

398-400, 403-408, 424, 426. 
refraction of, 98. 
roof of the Parthian Palace, 

397. 
varieties, early known, 367. 
Sapphires of the French Crown, 395, 
397, 399, 411, 412. 

Hungarian Crown, 396. 
King of Ava, 402. 
Miss Coutts, 396, 398. 
the Russian casket, 397. 
price of, 425-427. 
Sapphirus, 368. 
Sarmatia, ancient, 133. 
Sassanian kings, 23, 25. 
Saxon white brilliant, 223. 
Saxony, Elector of, gems, 224. 
Sceptre of Vladimir, 138. 
School of Mines, St. Petersburg, 

145. 
Scythian incursions, 133. 
Selwyn's views of gold deposits, 77. 
Serena, 121. 

Shah Jehan, 202, 209, 210, 218. 
Nasiru'd-din of Persia, 216. 
Sonjah, 207. 
Shrine of Thomas a Becket, 199. 
Siberian beryls, 313-315. 
Silicified trees, 347. 
Sinan Pasha, jewels of, 117. 
Sir Stamford Raffles, 36, 218. 
Smith, J. Laurence, discovers Hid- 
denite, 310. 



Sokolli, gems of, 117. 
Sorel, Agnes, necklace of, 177. 
Soujah and the Kohinoor, 207. 
Spanish Conquest of Mexico and 

Peru, 292. 
Specific gravity of diamonds, 87. 

emerald, 308. 

opal, 336. 

sapphire, 387. 
Spiritual properties of gems, 104. 
St. Chapelle of Paris, 127, 128. 
St. Laurent, views of, 239. 
St. Mark's Palace, 127, 130. 
St. Metania, 121. 
St. Sophia, mosque of, 129. 
Stamboul, 130. 
Star of the South, 41, 223. 
Stewart diamond, 55. 
Sultan of Mattan diamond, 36. 
Sumnath, idol and temple of, 209, 

220. 
Superstitious fancies about gems, 

362. 
Suvaroff gems, 98, 144, 156. 
Sword of Solyman, 107. 
Symes's visit to Ava, 217. 
Symes's, Col., visit to Burmah, 401. 



Table of Solomon, 326. 

Taj Mahal, palace tomb, 218, 219, 
408. 

Talasca, standard of, 293. 

Tavernier, the traveller, 27, 30, 34, 
66, 67, 150, 154, 163, 182, 202, 
203, 205, 213, 227, 238, 246, 
251, 272, 387, 404, 406. 

Telesie, a name proposed by Abbe" 
Haiiy, 371. 

Tennant, Prof., 40, 179. 

Theophrastus, 25, 368. 

Thiers, Madame, necklace of, 178. 

Throne of Nadir Shah, 107. 
Russia, 140. 



INDEX. 



439 



Throne of Takdis, 23. 

Turkey, 107. 
Timour, Fetes of, 114. 
spoils of, 114, 186. 
Tiridates and the Parthian nobles, 
120. 
march to Rome, 121. 
Titus and the spoils of Jerusalem, 

124. 
Tomb of Mahomet, 409. 
Topaz, 95, 98, 145, 425. 
Tburmaline, 97, 99, 145, 310, 326, 
408, 425, 427. 
tongs, 260. 
Tournament of the cloth of gold, 

192. 
Townlej'- collection of gems, 288. 
Treasury of the Seraglio, 107, 118. 
Troitza, treasury of, 147. 
Tschudi, Prof., 86. 
Turkish casket of jewels, 106. 
Turquoise of Mexico, 216. 
Persia, 292. 



u. 

Ural, Mountains, 47. 



V. 

"Vaal region diamond fields, 62. 
"Value of gems in 15th century, 
270. 



Vaux, mineral collection of, 317. 
Veil of EUinderas, 409. 
Venice, a gem mart, 270. 
Verneuil's views of diamond, 43. 
Volo, plain of, in Poland, 134. 
Voysey's views of diamond, 37, 74. 



w. 

Wallerius, views of, 290, 370, 

371. 
Walpole, Horace, 195. 
Weight of large diamonds, 247. 
Werner collection of gems, 102. 
Wilson, Dr., descriptions of the 

Kohinoor, 207. 
Winter Palace, collection in, 142. 
Wollaston, Prof , 245. 
Wooden-spoon seller's sapphire, 395. 
Wright's discovery of opal mines, 
345, 346. 



Yellow diamond of Austria, 227. 

sapphires, 410, 411. 
Yriate, history of Venice, etc., 128. 



z. 

Zenobia, captivity of, 120. 
Zircon, 91, 93, 96, 255, 427. 



University Press : John Wilson & Son, Cambridge. 



